For  th 


a 


Of4' 


^F&  Jk,  3GL  ^n^ 


^  -.  4- 

i     :...•; 


Cyrus  Townsend  Bradj 


:•»  -'.:  :  -   -  -  •:  .'•/ -      -.-.>. 


W,0,MD£BSON, 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 


Commodore  Byron  McCandless 


AM    I    TO    CONSIDER    YOU    AS    A  PRISON EU    OF    WAR    OR    AN 


ENEMY  ?" — Frontispiece. 


SPECIAL  LIMITED  EDITION 

For  the  Freedom  of 
the  Sea 

A  Romance  of  the  War  of  1812 

BY 

CYRUS   TOWNSEND    BRADY 

AUTHOR    OF    "  FOR    LOVE    OF    COUNTRY,"    ETC. 


NEW  YORK 

INTERNATIONAL    BOOK   AND 

PUBLISHING   COMPANY 

1900 


This  volume  is  issued  for  sale 
in  paper  covers  only 


COPYRIGHT,   1899,  BY    CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 
ALL    RIGHTS    RESERVED 


P.O 


Eegpectfullg  J3rtitcate& 

TO 

WILLIAM   T    SAMPSON, 

A  Rear  Admiral  in  th?  Navy  of  the  United  States, 

IN     HEARTFELT     APPRECIATION     OF     THE     PRQFOUND     STRATEGY, 

BRILLIANT    TACTICS,   AND    UNWEARIED    VIGILANCE    OF 

HIS   GREAT    CAMPAIGN    IN    THE    WEST    INDIES, 

TO    WHICH 

HIS    GLORIOUS    VICTORY    OF   JULY    3,    1898,    WAS    A    FITTING 
AND    WELL-EARNED    CULMINATION. 


9571 


Contents 


HBoofe  I 

BROTHERS   DIVIDED 

CHAPTER  PACK 

I    THE  BEAUTIFUL  ANNE  FITZHUGH 3 

II    A  WAGER  OF  BATTLE ri 

III  THE  FIRST  WALTZ  IN  AMERICA 16 

IV  THE  UNFINISHED  DUEL      ........  29 

V    COLONEL  BARRETT  ASKS  QUESTIONS  ....  39 

VI    ON  THE  DECK  OF  THE  CONSTITUTION      ...  46 

VII    THE  ENGLISH  GIVE  UP  THE  GAME 55 

VIII    A  ROSE  REJECTED 61 

HBoofe  II 

"OLD   IRONSIDES" 

IX    MASTER  RHODES'  OPINION  OF  THE  CAPTAIN    .  69 

X    THE  YOUNG  FINANCIER 76 

XI    THE  GUERRIERE  BEGINS  THE  GAME    ....  80 

XII    THE  CONSTITUTION  MAKES  REPLY      ....  86 

XIII     BOARDERS  AWAY 92 

XIV    A  LOST  WAGER 97 

XV    BROTHERS  UNITED 103 

XVI     CAPTAIN  HULL'S  REWARD  ........  108 

vii 


CONTENTS 


Book  in 

THE   EPIC   OF  THE   WHIP 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XVII    THE  PIECES  ARE  SET 113 

XVIII    THE  SENTENCE  OF  THE  COURT  .    .    .    .    .  118 

XIX    THE  CAT-O'-NINE-TAILS 123 

XX    THE  SONG  OF  THE  LASH 129 

XXI    THE  JUDGMENT  OF  GOD 132 

XXII    THE  END  OF  THE  GOSPEL  OF  FORCE      .    .  136 

Boob  iv 

A  DASH   FOR   FREEDOM 

XXIII  CAPTAIN  FAIRFORD  TAKES  COMMAND    .    .  143 

XXIV  A  LETTER  AND  ITS  ANSWER 152 

XXV    INTO  THE  MIDNIGHT 167 

XXVI    IF  AN  ENEMY  OPPOSES,  RIDE  HIM  DOWN  .  175 

XXVII    A  LIGHT  IN  THE  DARKNESS   ...*..  182 

XXVIII    A  THEOLOGICAL  DISCUSSION 189 

XXIX    NEW  DUTIES  FOR  WILLIAM  COTTON  ...  197 

XXX    SAFE  AT  SEA 203 


XXXI  t  FAIRFORD  PICKS  UP  A  CREW 219 

XXXII     AN  OLD  FRIEND  AGAIN 226 

XXXIII  No  LADIES'  MAIDS  ON  THE  CONSTITUTION  234 

XXXIV  YARNING  ON  THE  FORECASTLE     ....  239 

viii 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 
XXXV 


PAGE 


WHALIN'  3s  THE  GAME 251 

XXXVI    WHY  THEY  FOUGHT 256 

XXXVII  LOVE  ON  THE  QUARTER  DECK     ....  267 

XXXVIII     His  BROTHER'S  SHIP 275 

XXXIX    OFF  TRISTAN  DA  CUNHA 285  t 

XL    UNITED  AND  DIVIDED 296 

XLI    A  COMPANION  OF  NELSON 306. 


XLII    THEIR  WEDDING  JOURNEY 315 

XLIII  PASSED  BY,  AS  THE  IDLE  WIND  ....  323 

XLIV    WOMAN,  BEHOLD  THY  SON 328 

EPILOGUE  .    .         .....                  ....  338 


"  AM  I  TO    CONSIDER  YOU   AS    A    PRISONER  OF 

WAR  OR  AN  ENEMY  ?" Frontispiece 

TO  FACB  PACE 

"  ARE  YOU  READY,  GENTLEMEN  ?" 34 

THE   ENGLISH   CAPTAIN,    FILLED   WITH  RAGE   AND 

DESPAIR,  SNAPPED  HIS  PISTOL 212 

"  A  SHIP-OF-THE-LINE,"  ROARED  FAIRFORD,  TAKING 

A  LOOK  THROUGH  THE  GLASS 280 


BROTHERS    DIVIDED 


For  the  Freedom  of  the  Sea 

t 

CHAPTER   I 
The  Beautiful  Anne  Fitzhugh 

HT^HE  beautiful  Anne  Fitzhugh  sprang  from  one 
JL  of  the  proudest  and  oldest  of  those  great 
Virginia  families,  whose  achievements  in  the  past 
had  given  that  fair  Commonwealth  such  remarkable 
pre-eminence  in  the  small  family  of  nations,  which 
then  made  up  the  United  States  of  America.  The 
beautiful  Anne  Fitzhugh' s  pride  in  her  ancestry  was 
as  great  as  her  descent  was  long. 

That  they  had  been  Tories  in  the  Revolution  'in 
no  way  diminished  her  reverence  for  the  name  she 
bore.  She  even  looked  upon  the  warm  friend 
ship,  which  had  subsisted  between  her  father  and  a 
certain  other  great  Virginian  of  so  exalted  a  charac 
ter  that  he  had  been  chief est  in  all  the  nation  —  and 
through  whose  paramount  influence  the  family 
estates,  somewhat  diminished  in  extent  and  cur 
tailed  as  to  revenue,  had  been  saved  from  confisca 
tion,  which  was  the  American  reward  for  unappre 
ciated  services  to  King  George  III.  — as  a  blot  on 
the  scutcheon  of  the  family  history. 

Everybody  was  astonished,  therefore,  when  she 
married  Mr.  George  Fairford  of  New  York,  since 

3 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

he  was  nobody  in  particular  —  nothing  but  a  gentle 
man  — •  no  ancestral  estates,  no  ancient  name,  noth 
ing  but  money!  His  father  had  been,  or  was,  in 
trade  !  —  think  of  it  —  a  shopkeeper,  or  a  merchant, 
or  something  of  that  sort,  whose  large  means,  at  his 
only  son's  disposal,  had  permitted  him  to  journey  to 
the  far  land  of  Virginia,  where  he  had  the  unspeak 
able  audacity  and  unparalleled  good  luck  to  capti 
vate  the  belle  of  the  State,  broad  acres,  ancient 
name,  beauty,  pride,  —  all  there  was,  in  fact. 

The  wedded  life  of  the  young  couple,  in  the  beau 
tiful  old  place  at  Blakely,  on  the  Chesapeake,  the 
Fitzhugh  place,  of  course,  for  the  bride  positively  re 
fused  to  live  in  Dutch  and  plebeian  New  York,  passed 
pleasantly  enough.  Mr.  Fairford  was  entirely  con 
scious  of  the  exalted  station  of  the  lady  who  had 
honored  him,  and  indeed  did  not  lack  information  on 
the  subject,  which  was  supplied  by  kindly  disposed 
friends,  as  well  as  by  the  lady  herself,  when  her 
pride  got  the  better  of  her  discretion,  which  was  not 
infrequently.  The  situation  had  not  yet  become  too 
entirely  unbearable,  however,  when  Providence, 
jealous  of  the  honor  of  the  Fitzhughs,  it  was 
believed,  terminated  a  connection  so  damaging  to 
their  pride  by  removing  the  modest  husband  to  that 
sphere  where,  since  there  is  no  giving  in  marriage 
there,  he  could  scarcely  hope  by  his  fascinations  to 
capture  another  Fitzhugh ! 

During  their  brief  period  of  wedded  life,  Madam 
Fairford,  ne'e  Fitzhugh,  as  she  loved  to  subscribe 
herself  to  the  end  of  her  days,  had  magnificently 
Tx>rne  a  son  to  —  well,  to  herself;  an  act,  it  was 
thought,  of  great  condescension  on  her  part  to  the 


THE   BEAUTIFUL  ANNE   FITZHUGH 

exigencies  of  family  life.  The  young  man  in 
herited  some  of  his  mother's  beauty,  much  of  her 
unbending  pride,  and  a  little  of  the  sternness  of  dis 
position  which  came  from  old  Colonel  John  Parke, 
whose  portrait  in  the  hall,  with  its  piercing  blue 
eyes,  had  looked  fiercely  down  upon  many  genera 
tions,  which  had  lived  and  died  since  his  day;  he 
had  also  a  touch  of  his  father's  sunny  gentleness  at 
times. 

But  it  had  not  yet  appeared  what  he  should  be,  or 
what  he  might  have  become  under  the  stern  regimen 
of  his  proud  and  beautiful  mother,  who  took  herself 
and  her  family  so  seriously  that,  when  a  few  years 
after  Mr.  Fairford's  death  she  removed  to  England 
as  the  bride  of  another  wanderer,  —  Sir  James 
Heathcote  of  Heathcote  Hall,  in  the  county  of 
Surrey,  —  she  was  not  sure  but  that  she  had  made 
another  mesalliance. 

"In  Virginia,"  she  was  wont  to  say  to  her  meek 
husband,  "other  people  think  it  an  honor  to  be  shot 
dead  by  a  Fitzhugh;  we  are  not  one  of,  but  actually, 
the  first  family  of  Virginia!  While  you,  sir,  I  find, 
are  only  a  small  country  baronet  of  James  the  First's 
creation!  Where  I  was  born,  I  have  been  accus 
tomed  to  precede  every  one,  while  here  I  must  fol 
low  every  red-faced  country  girl  whose  father  happens 
to  be  a  degree  above  you.  'T  is  a  shame,  Sir 
James,  and  I  did  not  expect  it. "  Alas,  that  not 
even  the  pride  and  glory  of  the  Fitzhughs  could 
break  the  Median  laws  of  precedence ! 

Sir  James  happened,  as  had  been  her  first  incum 
bent,  to  be  a  gentleman  (indeed,  Mistress  Fitzhugh 
could  have  married  no  other),  and  was  of  the  same 

5 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

modest,  retiring  disposition.  He  was  not  without  a 
certain  simple  pride  of  birth  of  his  own;  but  when 
he  first  mentioned,  in  his  deprecating  way,  that  his 
people  had  come  over  with  William  the  Conqueror, 
Lady  Anne  crushed  him  with  the  stare  she  had 
inherited  from  Colonel  Parke,  and  which  generations 
of  Fitzhughs  had  intensified  until  it  was  most  dis 
concerting,  indeed;  and  added  a  cutting  remark 
about  William  the  Conqueror  being  a  most  improper 
person,  of  no  birth  at  all,  scarcely  to  be  named  in 
the  presence  of  a  lady,  etc.  As  another  act  of 
great  condescension  on  her  part,  Lady  Anne  had 
borne  another  son  to  —  well,  to  herself  as  before, 
and  young  Richard  Heathcote  inherited  all  of  his 
mother's  pride  and  none  of  his  father's  mildness. 

Poor  little  Blakely  Fitzhugh  Fairford  was  lerc  De- 
hind  to  the  tender  care  of  his  mother's  friends  and 
relatives  in  Virginia  when  his  mother  followed  —  no, 
led  Sir  James  back  across  the  seas.  He  was  thus 
early  deprived  of  that  love  and  care  which  even  the 
sternest  mother  feels  for  her  offspring,  and  which 
was  lavished  upon  his  more  fortunate  step-brother 
in  Heathcote  Hall  in  such  measure  that  the  fondest 
and  most  doting  peasant  woman  could  not  have  sur 
passed  it  in  intensity  and  degree,  while  Blakely  was 
more  or  less  forgotten. 

Seeing  his  mother  and  his  brother,  some  three 
years  younger  than  himself,  at  more  and  more 
infrequent  intervals — in  fact,  Lady  Anne's  visits 
t6  the  ancestral  acres,  which  were  the  only  occasions 
upon  which  she  saw  her  son,  gradually  diminished, 
until  they  finally  ceased  altogether  —  the  connection 
between  mother  and  son  was  kept  up  by  a  yearly 

6 


letter,  which  grew  more  and  more  formal  with  each 
repetition.  His  mother's  picture  in  miniature,  how 
ever,  hung  in  his  room,  and,  in  larger  shape,  looked 
down  upon  him  from  over  the  mantel  in  the  dining- 
room  ;  and  the  haughty  beauty  of  the  pictured  face 
appealed  to  his  artistic  nature  so  strongly  that,  with 
it  and  the  faint  recollections  of  childhood,  he 
created  for  himself  an  ideal  mother,  very  far  re 
moved,  indeed,  from  the  real  one,  to  which  he  gave 
all  the  devotion  and  love  of  his  bereft  little  heart. 
A  passion  for  this,  his  own  creation,  grew  upon  him 
until  the  lonely  little  boy  developed  into  a  man, 
when  he  clung  to  this  semblance  of  family  relation 
ship  left  him  like  a  ship  to  her  anchor. 

The  Virginia  estates  were  carefully  managed  for 
Lady  Anne's  benefit,  and  the  revenue  regularly  sent 
to  England,  where,  with  prudent  forethought,  it  was 
safely  invested  for  young  James'  future  benefit. 
Fairford  did  not  suffer  thereby,  being  in  the  enjoy 
ment  of  a  sufficient  competence  from  the  estate  of  his 
deceased  grandfather,  the  New  Yorker  "  in  trade." 
He  made  his  home  in  Virginia,  when  he  was  at 
home,  with  old  Colonel  Barrett,  a  distant  connec 
tion  of  his  mother,  whose  place  adjoined  her  own. 
By  profession  he  was  a  sailor,  —  an  officer  in  the 
American  Navy;  he  had  been  a  midshipman  under 
Truxton  on  the  Constellation,  getting  his  first  taste 
of  war  when  that  fortunate  ship  defeated  La  Ven 
geance  and  L'Insurgente.  Afterward,  with  Decatur 
at  Tripoli,  he  had  taken  further  lessons,  and  now 
was  rated  first  lieutenant  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Constitu 
tion  44,  Captain  Isaac  Hull,  lazily  swinging  at  her 
anchor  in  the  deep  water  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  at 

7 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

the  foot  of  the  hill  opposite  Blakely  Hall  and  the 
Barrett  place. 

Singularly  enough  —  and  we  can  only  account  for 
it  by  pre-supposing  a  strain  of  roving  blood  in  the 
Fitzhughs  —  one  of  them  had  been  a  pirate,  a  buc 
caneer,  or,  let  us  say  as  did  the  family,  "  a  gentle 
man  adventurer,"  in  the  old  days  when  the  risks 
were  great,  the  takings  many,  and  dead  men  told 
no  tales  on  the  Spanish  main  —  Richard  Heathcote 
was  also  a  sailor;  and,  at  present,  third  lieutenant 
of  H.  B.  M.  S.  Guerriere  38,  Captain  James  Richard 
Dacres,  which,  in  company  with  H.  B.  M.  S.  Lion 
50,  Captain  Henry  Cunningham,  was  moored  not 
far  from  the  Constitution  on  this  gentle  spring  even 
ing,  in  the  year  of  grace,  1812. 

The  three  ships  had  been  anchored  near  each  other 
for  some  days  past,  and  there  had  been  much  visit 
ing  among  the  officers.  Fairford  had  warmly  wel 
comed  his  brother  to  Virginia,  and  the  ties  of 
relationship  between  them  had  made  the  transition 
from  acquaintanceship  to  affection  an  easy  one; 
though  the  feeling  upon  Fairford's  part  was  deeper 
than  upon  that  of  Heathcote,  as  was  natural,  since 
the  one  was  practically  motherless,  and  the  other 
rejoiced  in  home  affections  of  the  deepest  kind. 

There  had  been  rumors  of  war,  and  two  partial 
engagements,  at  least,  had  occurred  between  ships 
of  the  two  countries;  and,  while  there  had,  as  yet, 
been  no  open  rupture  or  declaration  of  war,  the  feel 
ing  of  the  Americans  had  been  so  strained  that  it 
was  only  a  question  of  days  until  the  breaking  point 
would  be  reached.  The  high-handed  arrogance  of 
the  British  Navy,  the  cruisers  of  which  stopped 


THE   BEAUTIFUL  ANNE   FITZHUGH 

peaceful  American  trading  ships  on  the  high  seas 
when  and  where  it  was  convenient  to  them, 'some 
times  violating  our  harbors  for  the  same  purpose, 
and  took  from  them  such  men  for  their  service  as 
pleased  them,  under  the  plea  that  they  were  deserters 
or  British  subjects,  or  what  you  will  —  without  any 
plea  at  all,  in  fact  —  had  awakened  such  a  feeling  of 
rage  and  indignation  that,  when  the  various  conciliar 
acts,  necessitated  by  the  greater  wars  which  Eng 
land  was  conducting  with  her  great  Continental  rival, 
were  brought  into  operation,  the  end  was  certain.  t 

The  claim  of  perpetuity  of  dominion  over  a  citi 
zen,  which  implied  that  no  man  could  change  his 
domicile,  nor  renounce  his  allegiance,  nor  become  a 
citizen  of  another  country,  was  one  which  could  be 
maintained  only  by  force  of  arms,  not  of  right. 
England  found  it  most  difficult  to  maintain  and  man 
that  immense  and  most  efficient  navy,  which,  after 
all  is  said  and  done,  was  the  great  bulwark  of  liberty, 
and  insured  the  final  triumph  of  democracy  over 
imperialism  as  the  principle  of  government,  during 
the  earlier  years  of  the  century.  This  was  a  suffi 
cient  cause  for  English  statesmen  and  administrators 
to  disregard  the  rights  of  individual  men  and  insti 
tute  the  odious  press  gang.  They  were  compelled  to 
maintain  discipline  in  their  ships  by  the  frightful 
methods  of  punishment  in  vogue,  and  to  use  Ameri 
can  ships  as  recruiting  stations.  Naturally  this  did 
not  avail  to  excuse  their  conduct  from  an  American 
point  of  view. 

Between  the  Berlin  Decrees  of  the  French 
Emperor,  and  the  Orders  in  Council  of  Great 
Britain,  the  commerce  of  the  United  States,  upon 

9 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

which  the  prosperity  of  the  nation  at  that  time 
depended,  was  practically  at  an  end.  When  the 
British  openly  disregarded  the  protection  which 
should  be  given  by  the  flag  on  the  ocean,  looking  at 
the  Atlantic  as  they  did  the  Mediterranean,  "as  a 
British  lake,"  it  was  high  time  to  strike.  Indeed, 
it  was  strike  or  die;  many  people  said  strike  and 
die;  in  either  event  action  was  imperative  and 
necessary,  and  national  death  preferable  to  a  further 
submission  to  the  British  claims.  When  the  Ameri 
can  flag  no  longer  protected  American  citizens  on 
shipboard,  or  wherever  it  floated  above  them,  the 
blow  must  be  struck,  and  struck  hard  for  the  free 
dom  of  the  sea. 

In  view  of  these  things,  Sir  James  Heathcote, 
accompanied  by  a  distant  connection  of  his,  Miss 
Evelyn  Heathcote,  having  left  his  wife,  who  became 
more  and  more  English,  though  not  less  of  a  Fitz- 
hugh,  with  each  succeeding  year,  at  home,  came  over 
to  Virginia  to  look  after  the  ancestral  estates.  If 
possible,  he  hoped  to  make  some  permanent  arrange 
ment  for  their  safe-keeping  during  the  coming  and 
inevitable  war.  Sir  James  and  Evelyn  were  the 
guests  of  Colonel  Barrett  and  his  daughter  Margaret 
for  the  time  being,  and  a  delightful  friendship  had 
sprung  up  between  the  two  young  girls.  On  the 
evening  in  which  this  story  opens,  the  captains  of 
the  Constitution  and  the  Guerriere,  Captain  Cun 
ningham  being  indisposed,  with  Fairford,  Heath 
cote,  and  such  other  of  their  higher  officers  as  could 
be  spared  from  their  duties,  and  several  officers  of 
the  American  Navy,  were  dining  at  the  Hall,  pre 
paratory  to  a  ball  to  be  given  after  supper. 

10 


CHAPTER  II 

A   Wager  of  Battle 

SUPPER  was  over,  the  sun  was  not  yet  set,  and, 
all  the  members  of  the  house  party  were  out 
of  doors  in  the  pleasant  evening  weather.  Old 
Colonel  Barrett,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  and 
.Sir  James  Heathcote,  engaged  in  earnest  conversa 
tion,  were  sitting  near  the  end  of  the  long,  lofty 
porch,  which  extended  across  the  front  of  the  build 
ing,  and  rose  to  the  height  of  the  roof. 

Two  officers,  one  a  very  tall,  thin,  melancholy 
looking  man,  in  the  uniform  of  the  British  Navy, 
the  other  wearing  an  American  Naval  uniform,  and 
as  short  and  stout  as  his  companion  was  long  and 
.slender,  were  walking  slowly  down  the  gravelled 
walk  toward  a  little  pleasure-house,  which  stood 
just  on  the  edge  of  the  high  bluff  overlooking  the 
bay. 

In  the  doorway  the  two  young  girls  were  standing, 
and  surrounding  them,  a  group  of  young  officers,  all, 
apparently,  in  eager  rivalry  for  the  favors  of  the  fair. 
In  a  grove  near  the  house,  and  just  on  the  brow 
of  the  hill,  the  white  tents  of  a  battery  of  artillery 
and  a  battalion  of  infantry,  which  had  encamped 
there  for  the  night,  while  en  route  to  Washington, 
the  capital,  gleamed  under  the  trees,  and  the  bright 
uniforms  of  the  men  as  they  lounged  on  the  out- 

ii 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

skirts  of  the  camp,  gazing  at  the  occupants  of  the 
Hall,  gave  a  dash  of  vivid  color  to  the  scene. 

The  two  naval  officers  stopped  at  the  summer- 
house,  and  looked  down  upon  the  three  ships  below 
them.  A  pretty  picture  they  made,  —  the  white 
decks ;  the  rows  of  spotless  hammocks ;  the  grim, 
black  guns ;  the  lofty  spars,  with  their  tightly  and 
neatly  furled  sails;  the  seamen  lounging  about  the 
deck  after  supper,  for  it  was  the  second  dog  watch, 
one  of  Jack's  infrequent  hours  of  play.'  The  short 
man  broke  the  silence. 

"I  tell  you,  Dacres,  it 's  got  to  stop." 

"My  dear  Hull,"  replied  the  other,  "I  don't  see 
how  it  can." 

"It  can  and  shall." 

"But  how?  A  British  sailor  is  a  British  sailor 
wherever  he  goes  and  whatever  he  does ;  once  a  sub 
ject  of  King  George,  always  one,  you  know." 

"  No,  I  don't  know  —  not  when  he  goes  as  an 
American  citizen  under  that  flag.  Besides,  you 
have  taken  anybody  you  wanted.  I  know  there  are 
Americans  on  your  ships  down  here." 

"Oh,  come  now,  Hull." 

"  I  tell  you  again,  Captain  Dacres,  I  know  it. 
We  have  stood  this  thing  long  enough,  and,  if  I 
know  the  temper  of  our  people,  it 's  got  to  stop,  or 
something  will  come  of  it.  I  don't  hesitate  to  say 
that  I'd  rather  sink  alongside  you  than  give  up  a 
man  to  any  demand  you  fellows  might  make.  I 
would  not  care  of  what  nationality  he  was." 

"My  dear  fellow,"  replied  Captain  Dacres,  smil 
ing  imperturbably,  "we  disagree,  I  see.  Well,  if 
anything  is  coming,  let  it  come.  I  fancy  we  shall 


A  WAGER   OF   BATTLE 

be  ready  for  it.     If  you  won't  give  up  our  men,  why, 
then  we  shall  have  to  take  them,  that 's  all." 

"  They  're  not  your  men ;  but  if  they  were,  I  would 
not  give  them  up  as  long  as  I  commanded  a  ship." 

"  Oh,  well,  there  are  the  points  of  difference.  We 
must  have  men,  and,  as  long  as  you  have  them,  we 
will  take  them.  Why,  how  could  you  help  your 
self?"  went  on  the  Englishman,  calmly.  "Sup 
pose,  for  instance,  you  met  the  Guerriere.  I  could 
take  you  in  half  an  hour;  knock  that  bundle  of  pine 
boards  of  yours  to  pieces  in  less  time,  possibly." 

"Captain  Dacres,  you  insult  me,"  exclaimed  the 
stout,  choleric  American,  his  face  flushing  deeply  at 
this  nonchalant  and  certainly  aggravating  remark. 
His  hand  played  ominously  with  his  sword  for  a 
moment,  but  his  face  gradually  cleared  as  Dacres 
explained,  urbanely,  — 

"  My  dear  Captain  Hull,  I  mean  no  insult,  and 
cry  you  pardon  if  one  is  conveyed  in  my  words.  I 
am  only  stating  facts.  We  could  knock  you  into  a 
cocked  hat,  you  know." 

"I'll  bet  you  a  cocked  hat  you  don't,  Dacres; 
and,  if  I  don't  finish  you  up  in  thirty  minutes  my 
self,  I  '11  give  you  two  cocked  hats  instead  of  one," 
said  Hull,  smiling. 

"Done;  but  I  ought  to  give  you  odds,  I  think,  to 
be  perfectly  fair." 

"Never  mind  the  odds,  or,  if  you  think  best,  I 
will  give  them  to  you;  mine  is  the  heavier  ship, 
you  know." 

"That  only  makes  us  even;  mine  is  an  English 
ship." 

"And  mine  an  American." 
13 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF   THE   SEA 

"Dash  it  all,  that's  why  I  wanted  to  give  you 
odds." 

"And  that  is  why  I  shall  feel  uncomfortable 
about  taking  your  cocked  hat,  Dacres." 

"Well,  well,  wait  until  you  get  it,  my  friend; 
meanwhile,  we  won't  quarrel  ourselves  about  it,  but 
fight  it  out  when  the  war  begins." 

"And  begin  it  will  unless  you  stop,"  replied 
Captain  Hull. 

"And  stop  we  won't." 

"  There,  you  see,  we  begin  our  discussion  all  over." 

"Let  us  drop  it,  then,"  said  Captain  Dacres;  "we 
can't  agree." 

"Very  well,"  was  the  reply.  "There  is  only  one 
way  to  settle  it,  and  that  is  with  the  ships  side  by 
side  —  and  then  God  guard  the  right." 

"Amen,"  said  the  Englishman,  solemnly;  "we, 
at  least,  will  remain  friends." 

"Ay,  surely,"  replied  Hull,  frankly;  "my  father 
fought  against  England  in  the  Revolution,  and  died 
in  the  prison  ship  Jersey  in  Wallabout  Bay." 

"And  mine  commanded  a  schooner  in  the  naval 
battle  on  Lake  Champlain,  in  the  same  war,  and 
died  a  Vice- Admiral  of  the  Red  a  few  years  since." 

"I  am  sorry  he  did  not  transmit  a  better  opinion 
of  us  to  his  son." 

"Ah,  well,  my  friend,  all  you  lack  is  experience; 
when  you  have  been  fighting  the  Dutch,  the  French, 
the  Spanish,  the  whole  world,  even,"  continued 
Dacres,  proudly,  "as  long  as  we  have,  you'll  get 
that  experience." 

"  We  '11  get  all  we  need  from  you,  Dacres,"  replied 
Hull,  bluntly. 

14 


A  WAGER  OF   BATTLE 

"You  will  find  us  anxious  and  willing  to  give  it 
to  you,  I  'm  sure,"  said  Dacres. 

"And  don't  forget  the  hat." 

"  Not  I,  for  I  count  upon  wearing  it  —  but  it  has 
grown  late;  let  us  go  into  the  house;  I  see  the 
guests  of  the  evening  are  arriving." 

Arm  in  arm  the  two  men  turned  toward  the  Hall. 


CHAPTER   III 
The  First  Walts  in  America 

DURING  the  conversation  between  the  two  cap 
tains,  the  lingering  twilight  had  faded  into 
darkness.  The  Virginians  of  that  day  kept  early 
hours,  and  for  some  time  past  a  stream  of  carriages 
from  the  neighboring  country  seats  had  each  been 
discharging,  before  the  wide  entrance,  its  load  of 
ladies  fair,  their  attendant  cavaliers  for  the  most 
part  arriving  on  horseback.  After  laying  aside 
their  wrappings,  the  guests,  with  whom  the  two 
officers  mingled,  were  received  in  the  great  drawing- 
room  by  Colonel  Barrett  and  his  daughter  Margaret, 
assisted  by  Evelyn  Heathcote. 

The  two  girls  made  a  pretty  picture  as  they  stood 
together  under  a  brilliantly-lighted  chandelier  at 
the  end  of  the  long  room.  Evelyn  Heathcote  was 
cast  in  a  rather  large  mould,  tall,  stately  and  impos 
ing  in  her  presence,  with  a  nobility  of  carriage  and 
of  feature  that  impressed  the  most  casual  observer. 
Like  most  of  the  daughters  of  England,  her  com 
plexion  was  fair,  and  her  abundant  hair  had  that 
glint  of  sunshine  in  its  meshes  by  which  a  compen 
sating  nature  strives  to  lighten  the  dull  air  of  the 
foggy  little  island;  and  her  eyes  were  as  blue  as  the 
sea  which  washes  its  shores.  Upon  her  usually 
pale,  calm  face,  the  excitement  of  the  evening  and 


THE   FIRST  WALTZ   IN   AMERICA 

a  defection  on  the  part  of  an  hitherto  devoted  cava 
lier,  Lieutenant  Richard  Heathcote,  which  her  keen 
eye  had  speedily  become  aware  of,  had  brought  a 
delicate  play  of  color  to  her  cheek,  which  put  to 
blush  the  pink  roses  she  wore  at  her  breast,  and 
which  not  even  the  gentle  gale  from  the  tiny  fan  she 
carried  could  dispel. 

She  was  dressed  in  a  short-waisted  gown  of  pale 
blue,  made  after  the  fashion  called  Empire,  a  fashion 
imported  from  France;  there  were  straps  of  pearl 
passementerie  drawn  across  the  breast,  and  the 
dress  was  cut  very  decollete,  disclosing  a  pair  of 
snowy  shoulders;  a  broad  panel  of  the  same  pearl 
trimming  fell  from  the  short  waist  to  the  hem  of  the 
gown.  Her  hands  and  arms  were  covered  with  long 
white  wrinkled  gloves;  her  hair  was  dressed  a  la 
Grecque  with  a  large  knot,  into  which  a  bunch  of 
white  ostrich  tips  had  been  thrust,  with  numbers  of 
curls  falling  on  either  side  of  her  face;  on  her 
feet  she  wore  pink  satin  shoes  with  ties  crossed  over 
the  instep  and  white  silk  stockings,  which  the  dress, 
cut  rather  short  before,  though  trailing  a 'little 
behind,  plainly  exposed.  In  short,  she  represented 
the  extreme  of  the  mode  of  the  period;  and  at 
Almack's  they  used  to  say  there  was  not  a  better 
gowned  nor  a  better  looking  woman  in  all  England 
than  Evelyn  Heathcote. 

Greater  contrast  could  not  be  imagined  than  that 
presented  by  the  two  girls,  for  Margaret  Barrett,  a 
year  or  two  younger  than  her  friend,  was  as  small 
and  dark  as  the  other  was  tall  and  fair.  Her  hair, 
which  she  of  course  wore  in  the  all-prevailing  Greek 
knot  with  two  coquettish  and  fascinating  little  curls 
2  17 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF   THE   SEA 

over  her  ears,  and  otherwise  dressed  low  on  her 
pretty  forehead,  was  of  a  dark  chestnut  color;  her 
complexion  was  of  that  rich  olive  tint  so  rarely  seen 
in  its  perfection,  which  bespeaks  the  ardent  kisses 
of  tropic  suns  through  generations  of  ancestors;  the 
prevailing  tint  of  her  large,  expressive  eyes  was 
hazel,  sometimes  lightening  into  a  shadowy  gray, 
sometimes  darkening  into  a  bluish  black.  Some 
times  they  dreamed,  sometimes  they  glistened  with 
limpid  light,  sometimes  they  filled  with  tears,  some 
times  they  flashed  with  fire,  according  to  her  varying 
moods. 

She  had  a  smiling  and  most  kissable  mouth,  the 
red  lips  shaped  like  a  Cupid's  bow,  a  nose  very 
slightly  retrousse,  and  a  merry  piquant  coquettish 
expression  suited  to  her  slender  and  graceful  figure. 

She  was  simply  gowned  in  white,  and  wore  no 
gloves ;  the  modestly  cut  neck  and  half-open  sleeves 
of  her  dress  permitted  glimpses  of  a  pair  of  round 
brown  arms  and  youthful  shoulders,  charming  in 
their  immaturity  and  innocence.  Slippers  of  pale 
blue  with  ties  crossed  over  pale  pink  stockings 
covered  her  dainty  feet.  Instead  of  a  fan,  she 
carried  a  bunch  of  deep  red  roses,  one  of  which 
nestled  in  the  midnight  of  her  hair.  Unlike  her 
majestic  friend,  all  her  movements  lacked  the  repose 
of  majesty,  and  were  quick,  active,  and  full  of  life 
and  nervous  energy.  Evelyn  was  a  girl  to  love  and 
admire;  Margaret  was  one  to  live  and  die  for. 

Though  the  tendency  to  brilliancy  in  the  mascu 
line  dress  had  been  somewhat  modified  by  the  intro 
duction  of  less  extravagant  fashions  than  those  of 
the  past,  the  extent  of  the  change  was  not  yet  great, 

18 


THE   FIRST  WALTZ   IN   AMERICA 

and  men  still  expressed  their  fancy  in  the  choice  of 
their  attire.  Silk,  satin,  brocade,  and  vivid  color 
had  not  yet  become  the  exclusive  property  of  the 
women.  Colonel  Barrett,  for  instance,  clung  to  the 
fashion  of  the  not  distant  Revolutionary  days,  and 
appeared  in  all  the  glory  of  powdered  hair,  immense 
ruffled  tie,  satin  coat,  waistcoat  and  knee  breeches, 
with  silk  stockings,  diamond  buckles,  court  sword, 
and  so  forth. 

The  naval  officers  wore  their  uniforms  —  ruffled 
shirts,  blue  coats  heavily  laced  on  the  breast,  collar 
and  cuffs  with  gold,  one  or  two  brilliant  gold  epau 
lets,  according  to  their  rank,  white  or  red  waistcoats, 
as  they  were  Americans  or  English.  They  carried 
cocked  hats  under  the  arm,  wore  swords  at  the  side, 
tight-fitting  ankle  trousers  and  tasselled  half  boots 
for  the  Americans,  and  knee  breeches,  silk  stockings 
and  pumps  for  the  English. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Winfield  Scott  and  his  officers 
were  arrayed  in  the  rich  blue  uniform  of  the  Artil 
lery  Corps,  trimmed  with  gold  lace,  with  white 
crossed  belts  on  the  breast,  black  stock,  high  riding 
boots,  immense  chapeau  with  plume,  eagle  and 
cockade. 

Major  Hugh  Brady  and  his  Infantry  officers  wore 
a  similar  uniform,  but  laced  with  silver,  and  each 
carried  a  polished  leather  shako  with  white  pompon, 
and  wore  high  leather  gaiters  instead  of  boots.  The 
American  Marine  officers  were  in  green  uniforms, 
faced  with  white,  and  the  British  were  in  brilliant 
scarlet. 

The  civilians  wore  high  white  stocks,  with  broad, 
full  cravats  and  ruffled  shirts;  long  skirted  coats,. 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

with  high  rolling  collars,  of  blue,  green,  brown, 
red,  white,  or  any  other  color;  with  low  fancy  waist 
coats,  heavy  watch  fobs,  tight  knee  breeches  and 
boots,  or  long  tight-fitting  trousers  tied  at  the 
ankle;  with  slippers  and  rosettes  on  their  feet. 
The  ball-room,  therefore,  lighted  by  hundreds  of 
wax  candles  in  chandelier,  sconces  and  candelabra, 
presented  a  brilliant  picture  of  moving  color,  the 
like  of  which  we  no  longer  see. 

It  was  a  day  in  which  old-fashioned  ceremony  and 
courtesy  had  not  been  displaced  by  new-fashioned 
indifference.  The  gentle  art  of  courtseying  was 
still  as  much  a  part  of  a  young  lady's  education  as 
were  reading,  writing  and  ciphering.  So  there  was 
much  elaboration  and  form  in  the  welcoming  of  the 
guests  before  the  opening  of  the  ball,  and  a  degree 
of  stiffness  in  the  party  which  was  not  removed 
until  the  coming  of  the  negro  fiddlers,  slaves  on  the 
plantation,  who  furnished  the  humble  orchestra  for 
the  prospective  gayety. 

Then  the  dance  began,  and  contra-dance,  reel  and 
jig  succeeded  each  other  in  pleasant  succession. 
For  those  who  did  not  dance  there  were  card-tables 
provided  in  appointed  rooms  of  the  great  house, 
which  were  much  sought  after  by  the  elder  men  and 
the  dowagers;  and  the  great  buffet  and  the  tables  in 
the  dining-room  were  loaded  with  the  substantial 
eatables  and  drinkables  of  those  days. 

Among  the  most  indefatigable  of  the  dancers  was 
Lieutenant  Heathcote,  and  the  principal  object  of 
his  attention  during  the  evening  was  the  fair  hostess 
herself.  It  was  remarked  by  many,  and  by  none 
more  forcibly  than  by  Lieutenant  Fairford,  that  she 


THE   FIRST  WALTZ   IN   AMERICA 

seemed  in  no  wise  averse  to  accepting  the  atten 
tions  of  the  handsome  Englishman,  and  it  was  not 
until  the  evening  was  far  advanced  that  Fairford 
found  himself  able  to  secure  the  attention  of  his 
lovely  cousin.  Taking  her  hand  with  the  old- 
fashioned  grace  of  his  ancestry,  he  led  her  out  of  the 
hall  toward  the  little  summer-house  at  the  end  of 
the  wharf.  His  outward  manner  was  gracious,  but 
his  inward  feelings  were  quite  the  reverse. 

While  he  had  not  exactly  grown  up  with  Margaret, 
on  account  of  the  long  absences  necessitated  by  his 
cruises  in  distant  seas,  he  had  been  at  home  at  regu 
larly  recurring  intervals  of  two  or  three  years,  and 
the  affection  with  which,  as  a  boy,  he  had  regarded 
the  tried  little  comrade  and  merry-hearted  companion 
of  his  childhood  had  unconsciously  and  insensibly 
deepened,  until  it  had  become  the  all-absorbing 
passion  of  his  whole  nature.  It  had  required,  how 
ever,  just  the  stimulus  which  the  evident  apprecia 
tion  exhibited  by  his  step-brother  for  his  cousin- 
supplied,  to  discover  to  him  the  full  depth  and 
intensity  of  his  love;  and  that  which  had  hitherto- 
smouldered  little  heeded,  suddenly  broke  into  flame. 
He  was  a  modest  man,  however,  and,  as  he  had 
never  spoken  to  Margaret  on  this  subject,  he  had  no 
assurance  upon  which  to  found  that  airy  structure 
of  happiness  and  hope  which  lovers  build,  and  it 
was  with  much  trepidation  and  great  misgiving  that 
he  spoke  that  night. 

As  to  Margaret  herself,  the  thought  of  Blakely 
Fairford  as  a  lover  had  never  entered  her  head, 
though  Destiny,  under  whose  leading  we  walk  as; 
children,  had  been  unconsciously  directing  her  foot- 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

steps  in  the  same  pathway  her  lover  trod.  When 
Fairford  spoke  to  her  that  night  therefore,  her  heart, 
under  the  influence  of  his  sweet  pleading,  opened 
before  her  own  vision  as  the  morning  glory  whose 
vines  twined  around  the  summer-house  in  which 
they  stood,  opened  before  the  touch  of  the  rising 
sun.  The  feeling  of  open  admiration  with  which 
she  had  enjoyed  the  comradeship  of  the  debonair 
young  Englishman  was  lost  in  the  depth  of  a  newer 
and  truer  emotion.  However,  and  I  grieve  to  say 
it,  Margaret  was  not  only  witty  and  wise  and  gay, 
but  she  was  a  natural  coquette  of  the  most  finished 
type  as  well;  and  that  tendency,  coupled  with  her 
surprise  at  the  sudden  and  overwhelming  revelation 
not  only  of  Fairford's  feeling,  but  of  her  own, 
moved  her  to  simulate  an  indifference  she  did  not 
feel. 

So,  when  Fairford  told  her  how  he  loved  her,  she 
laughed.  When  he  begged  her  not  to  dance  with 
his  brother  again,  when  he  asked  for  a  kiss,  which 
she  would  have  freely  given  him  that  very  morning 
as  a  sister  might,  when  he  pleaded  for  a  rose  from 
those  which  she  held  in  her  hand,  she  put  him  off 
with  smiles  and  jests. 

But  when  the  old  Fitzhugh  temper  rose  to  the 
surface  in  him  and  he  grew  angry  and  imperious, 
demanding,  when  he  should  have  continued  to  plead, 
she  became  as  hard  as  a  struck  flint,  and  matched 
the  blows  of  his  pride  by  returning  flashes  of  fire, 
until,  within  open  rupture,  and  with  a  bitter  feeling, 
the  two  who  loved  each  other  walked  back  to  the 
house  at  odds.  If  Margaret  had  been  beautiful 
before,  she  surpassed  herself  now;  and  the  color  in 

22 


THE   FIRST  WALTZ   IN   AMERICA 

her  cheeks  rivalled  that  of  the  rose  which  she  waved 
airily  in  the  direction  of  Heathcote  as  she  entered, 
while  Fairford,  gloomy  and  furious,  remained  behind 
in  the  doorway.  She  accepted  an  invitation  for  a 
reel  from  Heathcote  at  once,  very  much  to  the 
discomfiture  and  indignation  of  Miss  Evelyn,  and 
that  completed  the  breach.  Fairford,  naturally,  and 
with  a  quick  appreciation  that  it  might  not  be 
pleasant  to  his  brother,  consoled  himself  by  dancing 
attendance  upon  Evelyn  Heathcote,  whom  he  really 
liked  extremely,  and  who,  piqued  at  the  desertion 
of  her  cousin  Richard,  whom  she  had  always  con 
sidered  her  own  private  property,  was  in  nowise 
loath  to  accept  the  attentions  of  so  dashing  a  cava 
lier  as  the  American.  Thus,  of  the  characters  in 
this  story,  three,  in  the  midst  of  merriment,  were 
breaking  their  hearts  needlessly,  while  the  cause  of 
all  the  trouble,  save  for  some  uneasiness  at  Evelyn's 
apparent  acquiescence  in  the  situation,  thoroughly 
enjoyed  it  all. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  evening,  during  a  cessa 
tion  of  the  dances,  Heathcote  proposed  to  Margaret 
that  he  should  teach  her  a  new  dance,  lately  intro 
duced  into  England,  and  of  which  none  of  the 
Americans  had  ever  heard,  called  the  waltz.  Mar 
garet,  ignorant  of  the  character  of  the  dance,  and 
happening  to  catch  a  particularly  stern  glance  from 
the  jealous  Fairford  at  the  moment,  readily  acqui 
esced,  and  gave  strict  attention  while  Heathcote 
showed  her  the  steps. 

"Oh,  don't  let  her  dance  it,"  whispered  Evelyn  to 
Fairford.  "It  is  really  not  the  thing  at  all;  'tis 
much  condemned  in  England  and  ..." 

23 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF   THE   SEA 

"She  may  do  what  she  pleases  for  aught  I  care," 
he  answered  recklessly. 

"But  you  don't  understand,"  she  continued 
quickly.  "  He  has  to  take  her  in  his  arms  and  .  .  . 
do  interfere." 

"It  will  be  useless,  you  will  see;  but  I  will  try," 
he  answered,  stepping  forward  to  where  Margaret 
stood  watching  Heathcote  humming  the  air  and 
exhibiting  the  step. 

"I  think  I  understand  how  it  is  done,"  she  said, 
smiling.  "So,"  taking  her  skirts  in  her  hand  and 
making  the  turn  gracefully. 

"Splendid!  Splendid!"  cried  Heathcote,  amid 
a  murmur  of  applause  from  the  other  guests,  who 
had  gathered  about  them.  "Who  will  play  for  us? 
Evelyn,  you  ? " 

She  shook  her  head,  and  Fairford  said,  — 

"Margaret,  don't  dance  this,  I  beg  of  you.  I  am 
informed  that  .  .  .  that  .  .  ."  he  hesitated,  not 
liking  openly  to  affront  his  brother,  who  was,  in 
a  certain  sense,  his  guest. 

"Have  a  care,  Fairford,"  responded  that  gentle 
man,  smiling,  but  with  a  menacing  ring  in  his 
voice ;  "  if  you  wish  to  play  master  of  the  revels, 
you  will  have  to  wear  a  more  smiling  face;  besides, 
Miss  Barrett  has  promised  to  dance  this  with  me." 

''Margaret,  I  must  request  you,"  continued  Fair- 
ford,  in  his  most  imperious  manner,  his  face 
flushing. 

"  Since  when  have  you  assumed  the  position  of 
arbiter  of  the  dance?"  she  interrupted,  smiling 
defiantly,  her  eyes  shining,  her  face  full  of  color. 
"You  forget  this  is  not  the  quarter-deck  of  your 

24 


THE   FIRST  WALTZ   IN   AMERICA 

ship,  sir;  I  dance  this  with  Lieutenant  Heathcote, 
as  I  promised." 

"As  you  please,  Mistress  Barrett,"  returned 
Fairford  at  this,  while  he  bowed  and  retreated. 

"Who  can  play  the  measure?"  cried  Heathcote, 
gaily,  enjoying  his  triumph.  "You  can,  Howard? 
Sit  down,  then,  at  this  harpsichord.  Now,  Madam," 
he  cried,  as  the  first  few  bars  of  the  slow,  dreamy 
trots  temps,  the  original  waltz,  floated  through  the 
room.  Then,  stepping  forward,  to  her  great  sur 
prise,  he  slipped  an  arm  around  her  waist,  and, 
before  she  knew  it,  whirled  her  away  in  what  was 
probably  the  first  waltz  ever  danced  on  the  Ameri 
can  continent. 

For  a  moment  she  struggled  to  break  away,  and 
then,  catching  sight  of  Fairford's  gloomy  face,  con 
vulsed  with  rage  and  jealousy,  she  abandoned  her 
self  to  the  fascinating  motion.  Though  her  partner 
held  her  at  arm's  length,  barely  touching  her,  a 
wave  of  horrified  indignation  swept  over  the  people 
in  the  ball-room,  and  they  were  by  no  means  Puri 
tans,  either.  Such  a  shocking  thing  had  never  been 
seen  or  heard  of  before;  actually,  she  was  being 
pulled  around  in  his  arms;  shades  of  her  ancestors! 
A  perfect  storm  of  disapproval  rose  in  feminine 
breasts,  while  envy  filled  the  souls  of  the  young 
men.  A  moment  more  and  Margaret  had  lost  caste 
forever;  and  what  might  have  broken  forth  no  one 
can  tell,  when  the  voice  of  Colonel  Barrett,  who 
had  just  come  in  from  the  card-room,  stopped  the 
guilty  pair,  and  rescued  his  daughter  from  the  con 
sequences  of  her  reckless  behavior  before  it  was  too 
late. 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"My  daughter,"  he  said,  with  perfect  courtesy, 
and  yet  with  crushing  disapproval,  "  if  you  will 
honor  me,  and  enough  others  can  be  found  to  follow 
our  example,  we  will,  in  the  menuet  de  la  cour,  show 
the  thoughtless  and  foolish  present  with  what  dig 
nity  and  grace  the  dances  of  the  past  were  carried 
on." 

"A  rose  in  memory  of  this,"  whispered  Heathcote 
to  his  fair  partner.  Carelessly  dropping  one  from 
the  bunch  at  his  feet,  with  a  heightened  color  and 
an  angry  heart,  for  certainly  she  had  represented,  if 
any  one  did,  the  "thoughtless  and  foolish  present," 
at  the  subtle,  though  delicate  reproof  of  her  father, 
anger,  which  vented  itself  upon  the  innocent  Fair- 
ford  chiefly,  with  the  unreasoning  tendency  of  angry 
womanhood,  she  returned  her  father's  stately  bow 
with  a  deep  courtesy,  and,  in  company  with  the 
others,  reverted  to  the  past  in  the  minuet.  Shortly 
after  this,  as  it  was  long  past  the  usual  retiring  hour 
even  for  balls,  the  party  broke  up.  Those  who 
lived  near  by  returned  home;  others  of  the  ladies 
sought  their  apartments  for  the  night,  while  the 
gentlemen  adjourned  to  the  billiard-room  and 
dining-room. 


CHAPTER  IV 
The  Unfinished  Duel 

WHEN  the  young  men  congregated  in  the  din 
ing-room,  cards  were  produced,  and  the  play 
became  fast  and  furious  there.  The  wine,  which 
had  been  rather  sparingly  used  heretofore,  out  of 
deference  to  the  ladies,  flowed  freely.  Those  who 
did  not  play  —  including  Fairford  and  Heathcote — • 
engaged  in  conversation,  and  the  subject  under  dis 
cussion  was,  of  course,  the  burning  question  of  the 
hour  —  the  impossible  claims  of  England  on  the 
high  seas,  and  the  position  the  United  States  would 
take  thereupon. 

An  acrid  tone  soon  pervaded  the  conversation; 
and,  under  the  stimulus  of  the  wine  he  had  taken, 
Lieutenant  Heathcote  assumed  a  leading,  and,  un 
fortunately,  an  offensive  part.  The  laws  of  cour 
tesy  were  more  or  less  forgotten. 

"  What  chance  have  you  against  the  British  Navy 
with  your  old  frigates  ?  They  are  nothing  but  pine 
boards  after  all." 

"  You  will  find  that  pine  is  a  stronger  wood  than 
you  think  for,  Richard,"  replied  Fairford,  quietly, 
but  with  his  eyes  blazing. 

"  Oh,  shall  we  ? "  sneered  Heathcote ;  "  what 's  the 
odds  if  we  do  ?  We  have  over  a  thousand  ships  and 
you  less  than  twenty.  We  will  run  that  prison- 

27 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

striped  flag  of  yours  off  the  ocean,"  he  concluded. 
There  were  cries  of  "Shame!  Shame!"  from  the 
little  group  of  Americans,  and  even  some  of  Heath- 
cote's  brother  officers  attempted  to  remonstrate  with 
him. 

"Oh,  come  now,  Heathcote,  this  is  too  much," 
said  Howard,  first  lieutenant  of  the  Lion.  "Re 
member  where  you  are,  man." 

"I  know  where  I  am,"  was  the  answer.  "Let 
me  alone,  will  you?  Once  an  Englishman,  always 
one,  that's  our  creed;  a  man  who  once  belongs  to 
King  George  belongs  to  him  forever.  We'll  take 
him  and  keep  him  wherever  we  find  him,  — on  the 
high  seas,  —  on  the  decks  of  your  ships  .  .  .  where 
you  will.  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?"  he 
continued  hotly;  "how  are  you  going  to  help  it, 
pray?  I  will  wager  I  can  take  a  sloop-of-war  and 
capture  any  frigate  you  have,  in  spite  of  your  dirty 
little  flag." 

"  I  am  the  senior  American  Naval  officer  present," 
responded  Fairford,  fiercely.  "  I  demand  that  you 
apologize  at  once  for  your  insult  to  the  flag." 

"Apologize  be  d — d,"  returned  Heathcote,  with 
equal  fierceness.  "We'll  not  only  take  the  men, 
but "  —  and  he  smiled  mockingly  as  he  drew  a 
red  rose  from  his  breast ;  "  we '  11  take  the  women, 
too." 

His  tone  and  manner  were  particularly  offensive. 

Fairford,  with  upraised  hand,  sprang  at  him  at 
once;  but  others  quickly  intervened,  and  the  blow 
fell  upon  the  empty  air. 

"This  is  an  insult  which  can  only  be  wiped  out 
in  one  way,"  he  cried  furiously. 

28 


THE   UNFINISHED   DUEL 

"Quite  so,"  replied  Heathcote,  with  equal  spirit. 
"When  and  where  you  please." 

"I  am  ready  now,"  answered  Fairford,  striving  t« 
recover  his  composure. 

"Gentlemen,  gentlemen,"  said  one  of  the  older 
officers  —  "  between  brothers  ..." 

"  No  more  brothers  than  Englishmen  and  Ameri 
cans  are,"  broke  in  Lieutenant  Colonel  Scott, 
fiercely. 

"The  observation  of  the  gentleman  is  most  accu 
rate,"  answered  Heathcote,  smoothly,  beginning  to 
get  the  better  of  the  wine  he  had  taken,  as  the  emer 
gency  deepened.  "Being  of  this  mind,  and  having 
obtruded  his  large  personality  into  this  quarrel, 
perhaps  he  is  willing  -to  bear  the  consequences  of 
his  interference." 

"With  the  greatest  pleasure,  sir,"  answered  Scott, 
"if  there  are  any  effective  possibilities  left  in  you 
when  Mr.  Fairford  has  finished  with  you." 

"The  gentleman  does  me  too  much  honor;  he 
would  make  an  excellent  target.  If  it  were  not  so 
manifestly  unfair  to  him,  I  would  suggest  cannon 
at  long  range." 

Deeply  enraged  at  the  reference  to  his  great  size, 
the  hot-tempered  Scott  stepped  toward  the  English 
man,  whose  slender  figure  looked  small,  indeed, 
beside  his  huge  American  antagonist.  Heathcote 
had  all  the  courage  and  pride  of  his  race  and  nation, 
and  he  faced  his  enemy  with  magnificent  calmness. 

"Have  patience,  my  great  sir,  and  you  may  get  as 
near  to  me  as  you  wish  in  your  turn." 

"Hold  on,  Scott,"  said  his  friend,  Major  Brady 
of  the  Infantry,  restraining  him  with  a  powerful 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

grasp.  "It's  not  your  turn  yet;  and  you,  sir," 
addressing  Heathcote,  "  if  this  is  going  to  be  a  tour 
nament,  I  hope  you  won't  omit  the  Infantry  from 
your  entertainment." 

"An  Irishman  is  always  ready  to  fight  in  any 
body's  quarrel  but  his  own;  you  shall  follow  your 
two  friends,  sir." 

"Faith,  I  wish  I  had  a  better  chance  of  getting 
into  action,  then." 

"Don't  despair,  sir,  I  beg  of  you.  Is  there  any 
one  else  .  .  .  the  gentleman  in  green?  We  have 
the  Navy,  the  Artillery,  and  the  Infantry;  we  can 
complete  the  service  if  he  will  represent  the  Cavalry, 
say  the  Horse  Marines?"  continued  Heathcote, 
smiling  and  sneering. 

"  I  am  accustomed  to  be  addressed  in  a  proper 
manner  by  those  whom  I  desire  to  kill;  but  I  will 
waive  my  right  in  this  instance,  and  give  you  an 
opportunity,  if,  after  all,  you  desire  it,"  intrepidly 
replied  Captain  Bush  of  the  Marine  Corps,  as  brave 
an  officer  as  ever  drew  a  sword. 

"Sir,  I  thank  you;  I  do  desire  it.  What  next?" 
said  Heathcote,  bowing  gracefully. 

"  Let  us  proceed  to  business  if  your  engagement 
book  is  sufficiently  well  filled  for  your  purpose," 
answered  Fairford. 

"If  you  wish  to  make  a  general  affair  of  this, 
Heathcote,  and  intend  challenging  the  whole  United 
States,  why  not  select  three  of  us  to  accompany  you 
and  settle  the  thing  at  once?  I  shall  be  glad  to  be 
one.  I  don't  like  this  procession  of  yours,"  said 
one  of  the  English  officers. 

"No,"  said  Heathcote,  promptly,  "this  is  my 
30 


THE   UNFINISHED   DUEL 

affair;  one  Englishman  should  be  a  match  for  any 
four  Americans ;  it  is  odds  to  which  we  are  accus 
tomed;  let  no  one  interfere  with  me,  and  we  will 
begin  immediately." 

"  Would  it  not  be  better  to  wait  until  morning 
instead  of  showing  such  unseemly  haste  to  conclude 
this  unfortunate  affair?"  commented  one  of  the 
American  officers,  Robert  Ludlow,  third  lieutenant 
of  the  Constitution,  a  great  friend  of  Fairford,  and 
a  great  admirer  of  Evelyn  Heathcote  as  well. 

"  I  should  be  most  happy  to  oblige  you,"  responded 
Heathcote ;  "  but,  unfortunately,  we  are  under  orders 
to  sail  early  in  the  morning,  and  we  shall  have  to- 
conclude  the  affair  at  once,  or  postpone  it  to  a  more 
distant  day." 

"The  sooner  the  better,"  replied  Fairford;  "I 
believe  that  I  have  already  expressed  my  desire  to 
settle  the  matter  at  once.  If  I  am  not  mistaken, 
you  will  find  the  colonel's  duelling  pistols  in  the 
cabinet  there.  Lieutenant  Ludlow  will  act  for 
me  —  " 

"And  Lieutenant  Howard  for  me,"  continued 
Heathcote,  quickly.  "  Dr.  St.  George  of  the  Guer- 
riere  is  present,  and  he  will  do  whatever  may  be 
necessary,  I  am  sure;  so  we  are  provided  for  all  con 
tingencies." 

The  three  gentlemen  named  bowed  and  withdrew 
to  one  side  for  a  short  consultation,  taking  the 
colonel's  pistols  with  them.  The  other  officers  and 
men  gathered  themselves  together  at  the  other  side 
of  the  room,  in  a  small  alcove,  leaving  the  two 
brothers  alone  in  the  centre. 

With  a  smile  of  haughty  indifference,   Heathcote: 
31 


FOR   THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  over  toward  the 
mantel  at  the  end  of  the  long  apartment.  Fairford 
stood  waiting  quietly  by  the  side  of  the  table. 
Like  every  true  American,  he  fiercely  resented  the 
insult  to  the  flag  which  represented  his  country, 
and  chafed  under  the  openly  expressed  contempt  of 
the  English  for  the  little  Navy  itself.  These  insults 
were  quite  sufficient  to  have  brought  about  the 
present  condition;  and  when  there  was  added  the 
bitterness  of  jealousy,  caused  by  Margaret's  inex 
plicable  conduct  with  his  step-brother,  the  vivid 
remembrance  of  that  wild  foreign  dance,  it  was  with 
hot  and  bitter  rage  that  he  longed  for  an  opportu 
nity  to  kill  him. 

Duels  were  common  at  that  date,  especially  in  the 
naval  service.  The  naval  records  of  the  day  tell  the 
melancholy  tale  of  valuable  lives  sacrificed,  and 
many  a  brilliant  career  cut  short,  under  the  compul 
sion  of  the  so-called  code  of  honor.  Life  was  cheap, 
indeed,  and  men  lived  and  died  hard  in  the  days 
of  our  forefathers.  Under  such  circumstances,  it 
seemed  as  if  all  those  natural  feelings,  which  the 
intercourse  of  the  last  week  had  begun  to  develop, 
were  held  in  abeyance. 

On  his  part,  with  much  less  cause,  Richard  Heath- 
cote  was  almost  as  much  incensed  against  his 
brother.  Jealous  of  the  latter 's  supposed  influence 
with  Margaret  Barrett,  whom,  if  he  did  not  love,  he 
greatly  admired;  and,  by  a  singular  contradiction  of 
sentiment,  even  more  jealous  of  the  attention  which 
his  brother  had  latterly  paid  to  Evelyn,  for  whom 
he  cherished  a  deeper  affection  than  he  would  have 
admitted,  and  infuriated  by  her  kindly  reception  of 


THE   UNFINISHED   DUEL 

that  attention ;  with  an  honest  and  thorough-going 
contempt  for  the  little  American  Navy,  both  as  re 
gards  personnel  and  material ;  and,  lastly,  somewhat 
inflamed  by  the  wine  he  had  taken,  and  spurred  on 
by  pride  as  well,  he  was  almost  as  bitter  and  eager 
as  his  step-brother. 

Still,  as  they  stood  in  silence  together,  a  little 
natural  feeling  would  obtrude  itself  upon  their  situa 
tion  in  spite  of  all  they  could  do,  for  each  one  really 
liked  the  other;  and  it  is  possible  that  if  there  had 
been  time  for  reflection  the  matter  might  have  been 
adjusted  amicably  and  without  recourse  to  arms. 

The  two  seconds  and  the  doctor  came  forward 
at  this  juncture,  and  announced  the  arrangements 
through  Lieutenant  Howard. 

"  Gentlemen,  we  have  agreed  that  the  weapons 
shall  be  pistols,  and  that  you  will  stand  face  to  face 
the  long  way  of  the  room,  at  a  distance  of  ten  paces. 
Lieutenant  Ludlow  of  the  Constitution  will  give 
the  word;  he  will  count  three,  and  give  the  word  to 
fire;  you  are  not  to  fire  until  after  the  word  has 
been  given.  In  consideration  of  the  fact  that  my 
principal  is  under  engagement  to  meet  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Scott,  Major  Brady,  and  Captain  Bush 
in  succession  to-night,  you  will  each  be  allowed 
but  one  shot  at  the  other.  Do  you  accept  the 
terms  ? " 

"Certainly,"  responded  both  the  principals. 

"  Here  are  the  pistols  which  we  have  just  charged ; 
there  is,  we  believe,  no  difference  between  them. 
My  principal,  as  the  challenged  party,  has  the  first 
choice." 

As  he  spoke,  he  extended  his  hands  with  the 
3  33 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

weapons  toward  Heathcote,  who  carelessly  took  the 
nearest  one.     Fairford  received  the  other. 

"As  there  is  no  difference  in  position  on  account 
of  the  light,  which  I  will  hold,  myself,  where  I  now 
stand,  the  other  lights  in  the  room  being  extin 
guished,  Lieutenant  Heathcote  will  stand  where  he 
now  is,  and  Lieutenant  Fairford  will  stand  here," 
he  continued,  after  he  had  carefully  walked  ten 
paces  from  the  former. 

"Take  your  places,  gentlemen.  I  presume  it  is 
unnecessary  to  state  to  the  other  gentlemen  that 
they  must  remain  absolutely  quiet.  Now,  Lieu 
tenant  Ludlow,  will  you  give  the  word  ? " 

"  Are  you  ready,  gentlemen  ?  "  said  the  latter. 

"One  moment,"  said  Fairford,  quietly,  in  the 
intense  silence;  "  I  desire  to  say  that  I  have  already 
used  this  pistol,  and  this  may  give  me  some  advan 
tage."  Ludlow  turned  toward  Howard,  who  looked 
toward  Heathcote. 

"It  is  of  no  consequence  whatever,"  replied  that 
officer,  carelessly.  "  Proceed. " 

"  Are  you  ready,  gentlemen  ?  "  said  Ludlow  again  ; 
and  when  Fairford,  stern  and  cold,  and  Heathcote, 
smiling  and  gay,  had  nodded  acquiescence,  he 
began  to  count  in  a  stillness  which  was  absolutely 
breathless. 

"  One,  two  —  "  Both  men,  with  arms  steady  from 
long  practice,  raised  their  pistols  simultaneously, 
and  each  took  careful  aim  at  the  other. 

Back  of  Heathcote,  over  the  mantel  hung  the 
picture  of  a  proudly  beautiful  woman.  Though  the 
two  antagonists  facing  each  other  were  totally  differ 
ent  types  of  men,  Fairford  being  fair,  tall,  broad- 

34 


"AUE   YOU   UEAUY,    GENTLEMEN?"—  Page  34. 


THE   UNFINISHED   DUEL 

shouldered  and  strong,  while  Heathcote,  though  as 
tall  as  his  brother,  was  dark  and  slender,  there  was 
a  curious  likeness  in  the  face  of  each  man  to  the 
face  in  the  picture.  Some  trick  of  carriage,  a  pride 
of  port,  the  poise  of  the  head,  the  piercing  glance  of 
the  strong  gray  eyes,  which  they  all  three  had  in 
common,  proclaimed  that  she  was  the  mother  of 
both. 

As  Ludlow  counted  three,  Fairford's  glance,  for 
a  flying  moment,  comprehended  both  the  face  in  the 
picture  and  the  face  of  his  brother. 

His  brother!  Good  God,  what  were  they  about 
to  do  ? 

He  started  slightly,  and  then  the  enormity  of  the 
situation  burst  upon  him.  Was  it  too  late?  He 
had  half  opened  his  mouth  to  speak,  when  the 
ominous  word  "fire"  fell  upon  his  ear!  Then  he 
held  himself  as  steady  as  a  rock,  mechanically  glanc 
ing  along  the  barrel  of  his  pistol.  A  sharp  report 
rang  through  the  room.  He  heard  the  whistle  of  a 
bullet  pass  his  ear,  heard  the  crash  of  breaking  glass 
behind  him;  he  felt  a  slight  tug  at  the  side  of  his 
head. 

When  the  smoke  had  cleared  away,  he  found  him 
self  entirely  unharmed,  confronting  his  defenceless 
brother.  Heathcote,  his  discharged  pistol  hanging 
by  his  side,  was  bravely  facing  him;  his  face  was  a 
trifle  paler  than  before,  but  he  was  still  serenely 
smiling.  He,  too,  had  had  his  moment  of  realiza 
tion;  it  had  come  as  he  had  pressed  the  trigger,  and 
had  unconsciously  deflected  his  hand.  "Thank 
God!"  he  whispered  to  himself,  "he  is  unharmed.'1 
Fairford,  nerving  himself,  and  seeking  to  silence 

35 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

his  conscience,  took  long  and  careful  aim,  while  the 
others  waited  in  breathless  silence  to  see  the  result 
of  the  expected  shot.  Presently,  to  everybody's 
great  surp'rise,  he  slowly  lowered  his  arm.  There 
was  an  instant  murmur  from  the  group  of  men  in  the 
alcove. 

"I  must  ask,"  cried  Lieutenant  Howard  to  Lieu 
tenant  Ludlow,  "that  your  principal  take  his  shot  at 
once.  Such  a  proceeding  as  this  is  most  unusual." 

"  Heave  ahead,  Fairford,  why  do  you  delay  ? " 
answered  Ludlow,  promptly;  "there  are  others  here 
who  must  be  considered." 

"  Let  the  gentleman  take  his  time,  Howard,  I  can 
wait,"  said  Heathcote,  urbanely. 

"Enough  of  this,"  interjected  Fairford;  "I  refuse 
to  continue.  I  cannot  fire  at  a  defenceless  man  who 
looks  at  me  with  my  mother's  eyes.  The  matter 
can  go  no  further.  He  is  my  brother,  and  cannot 
insult  me."  He  threw  the  pistol  on  the  table,  and 
folded  his  arms. 

"I  say  you  shall  fire,"  responded  Heathcote, 
starting  forward  eagerly.  "  By  heaven,  you  humili 
ate  me  beyond  expression.  No  man  shall  receive 
my  shot  without  returning  it." 

"I  cannot  and  will  not,"  answered  Fairford. 
"  You  may  say  and  do  what  you  please,  you  are  my 
brother  and  I  cannot  forget  it." 

"You  shall,  you  must.  Blake,"  responded  Heath 
cote,  sternly,  though  using  the  familiar  name,  "you 
cannot  put  this  disgrace  upon  me.  How  can  I 
oblige  these  other  gentlemen  if  I  allow  this  matter 
to  end  in  this  way?  Do  not  put  this  shame  upon 
me,"  he  cried,  seizing  the  pistol  at  the  same  time, 

36 


THE   UNFINISHED   DUEL 

and  trying  to  force  it  into  Fairford's  unwilling  hand. 
"  Brother,  for  the  sake  of  my  honor,  take  the  shot. 
Gentlemen,  I  appeal  to  you,"  he  said,  turning  to  the 
two  seconds,  as  Fairford  still  shook  his  head. 

"The  laws  of  honor  certainly  demand  that  he 
take  his  shot,"  said  Howard.  "You  agree  with  me, 
do  you  not,  Mr.  Ludlow?" 

"Certainly,  you  must  do  it,  Fairford,"  said  Lud 
low,  immediately. 

"  And  I  tell  you  now  the  laws  of  nature  and  the 
laws  of  God  —  "  began  Fairford,  firmly. 

"And  to  you,  gentlemen,  I  appeal,"  said  Heath- 
cote,  interrupting  again,  and  turning  to  the  specta 
tors,  "we  are  not  dealing  with  laws  other  than  those 
of  honor  now.  Give  your  voice." 

"  Take  the  shot  —  " 

"Give  him  his  shot  "  — 

"It  is  a  shame  to  refuse,"  cried  the  others,  their 
angry  passions  in  the  ascendant. 

"I  want  none  of  my  brother's  blood  upon  my 
hands,  and  I  will  not,  as  I  have  said  before,  con 
tinue  this  affair,"  returned  Fairford,  inflexibly. 
"You  have  abundant  evidence  of  Lieutenant  Heath- 
cote's  courage  in  his  gallant  action  here,  and,  if  any 
other  gentleman  doubts  his  or  mine,  I  shall  be  most 
happy  to  accommodate  him  at  once  and  promise  no 
interruptions." 

"May  I  ask,"  said  Lieutenant  Colonel  Scott, 
suavely,  "  in  what  situation  this  leaves  me  with 
regard  to  my  unfulfilled  engagement  with  Lieu 
tenant  Heathcote  ? " 

"And  what  is  my  position?"  brusquely  added 
Major  Brady. 

37 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"And  mine?"  chimed  in  Captain  Bush. 

"  In  no  position  at  all,  gentlemen ;  the  affair  is 
ended.  This  is  not  the  place  where  the  question  of 
efficiency  and  superiority,  which  has  been  raised  by 
my  English  brother,  can  be  settled.  We  will  fight 
it  out  on  the  decks  of  our  ships,  and  on  the  field  of 
battle,  where,  I  doubt  not,  ample  opportunity  will 
be  afforded  for  the  exhibition  of  that  courage  which 
is  the  common  heritage  of  the  descendants  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon." 

"And  of  the  Celt  as  well,"  interrupted  Brady, 
impulsively. 

"1  hope  Lieutenant  Fairford  will  not  discrimi 
nate  against  the  Germans,  from  whom  I  sprang," 
said  Captain  Bush. 

"  Certainly  not,  gentlemen,  certainly  not.  That 
courage  which  is  the  common  heritage  of  every  man, 
I  should  have  said." 

"Oh,  Blake,  you  have  undone  me,"  said  Heath- 
cote,  bitterly,  still  unconvinced. 

"  Not  so,  Richard,  for  —  " 

At  this  juncture  the  door  of  the  room  opened, 
and  Colonel  Barrett,  Sir  James,  Captains  Hull  and 
Dacres,  and  the  older  members  of  the  party  entered. 


CHAPTER  V 

Colonel  Barrett  Asks  Questions 

ENTLEMEN,  gentlemen,"  said  Colonel  Bar- 
rett,  sniffing  the  powder  smoke,  and  seeing 
from  the  broken  glass  behind  Fairford,  and  the  gen 
eral  disorder  in  the  room,  what  had  happened.  "  How 
is  this;  have  you  been  fighting  in  my  house;  vio 
lating  my  hospitality  by  engaging  in  a  duel  under 
my  roof?  " 

"  If  it  was  one  of  my  men,  I  will  engage  it  was  not 
without  cause  that  he  entered  into  the  matter,"  said 
Hull,  calmly. 

"  I  will  engage  the  same  thing  of  mine,"  answered 
Dacres,  passionately,  his  dark  face  flushing. 

"Lieutenant  Colonel  Scott,"  continued  Colonel 
Barrett,  unheeding  this  interruption,  "  will  you  have 
the  goodness  to  advise  me  .  .  .  ."  but  he  was  inter 
rupted  once  more  —  this  time  by  the  faint  sound  of 
the  roll  of  a  drum  heard  from  the  outside  in  the  still 
night.  All  the  officers  started  simultaneously.  It 
was  the  beat  to  quarters,  and  Hull  exclaimed  under 
his  breath,  "  That  is  the  Constitution  surely." 

The  old  colonel,  however,  kept  on  imperturbably : 
"  Will  you  tell  me  what  is  the  cause  of  whatever  action 
has  been  taken  on  this  occasion,  and  give  me  inform 
ation  as  to  the  details  of  this  scene?" 

39 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE  SEA 

Scott  hesitated,  looking  about  the  room  inquiringly. 

"Out  with  it,  man,"  exclaimed  Hull.  "  If  there 
has  been  any  fighting,  we  want  to  know  what  it  was 
about,  and  if  there  is  going  to  be  any  more  we  want 
to  take  a  hand  in  it.  I  trust  I  voice  your  sentiments, 
Captain  Dacres?" 

"  Completely,"  replied  the  Englishman,  proudly. 
"  Pray  give  us  the  details,  Colonel  Scott." 

"Have  I  your  permission,  gentlemen?"  asked 
Scott,  looking  around  at  the  principals  and  seconds. 

"  Yes,  yes." 

"  Go  on,  go  on,"  was  the  reply  from  all  parts  of  the 
room.  It  was  noticed  that  the  Englishmen  had  with 
drawn  to  one  side  and  arranged  themselves  about 
Captain  Dacres,  while  the  American  sailors  had  as 
sembled  near  Captain  Hull,  leaving  Scott,  Brady,  and 
their  officers,  and  the  other  guests  facing  Colonel 
Barrett  in  the  middle  of  the  room  between  the  two 
parties. 

"  The  question,  sir,"  said  Scott,  gravely,  "  was  the 
old  and  open  one  of  the  right  of  His  Britannic  Ma 
jesty's  ships  to  search  our  ships,  impress  our  men, 
and  insult  our  flag,  with  a  secondary  question  of  the 
efficiency  of  our  Navy." 

"  By  gad,  I  will  wager  they  will  find  out  that 
neither  of  these  is  an  open  question  very  shortly," 
interrupted  Brady,  fiercely.  Hull  and  his  officers 
smiled  at  the  impetuous  Irishman,  while  the  English 
officers  laughed  scornfully. 

"Silence,  sir,"  commanded  Colonel  Barrett;  "do 
you  wish  to  precipitate  another  quarrel?  Proceed." 

"  That  is  all,  sir.  We  resented  both  the  statement 
and  the  manner  of  its  presentation,  and  Lieutenant 

40 


COLONEL  BARRETT  ASKS  QUESTIONS 

Fairford,  Major  Brady,  Captain  Bush  and  myself  took 
the  matter  up." 

"Who  were  your  antagonists?  "  said  the  colonel. 

"  We  had  one  only,  Lieutenant  Heathcote." 

"What!  were  you  all  going  to  fight  him?"  de 
manded  the  astonished  colonel. 

"Yes,  sir,  but  in  succession." 

"  Well  done,  Dick,"  said  old  Sir  James  approv 
ingly  to  his  son. 

"  I  must  beg  that  I  be  not  interrupted  again.  Go 
on,  Colonel  Scott,"  said  Colonel  Barrett,  impres 
sively. 

"  Well,  sir,  Mr.  Fairford  was  to  have  the  first 
chance  at  the  man.  He  received  his  broth  —  Lieu 
tenant  Heathcote's  fire  unharmed,  and  then  threw 
down  his  pistol  and  refused  to  take  his  shot,  saying 
that  he  could  not  fire  at  a  man  who  looked  at  him 
with  his  mother's  eyes.  That  was  your  phrase,  was 
it  not?"  said  the  tall  artilleryman,  bowing  toward 
Lieutenant  Fairford. 

"  It  was,  sir,"  was  the  response. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  call  you  to  witness,"  interrupted 
Heathcote  at  this  point,  "  that  I  begged  and  implored 
him  to  return  my  fire." 

"  You  did;  it 's  true,"  came  from  all  parts  of  the 
room. 

"  Our  man  was  right  —  no  fight  in  the  family," 
cried  Hull,  impetuously.  "  I  will  take  his  place,  and 
I  doubt  not  Captain  Dacres  will  represent  his  own 
lieutenant.  Our  nations  have  forgotten  the  common 
brotherhood  of  a  common  ancestry  in  that  which 
now  lies  between  them,  and  I  pledge  my  word  there 
will  be  no  interruptions  on  this  occasion." 

41 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

Dacres,  with  his  hand  on  his  sword,  started  forward 
impetuously. 

"  The  man  who  fights  in  this  house,  must  first  cross 
swords  with  me,"  s'aid  old  Colonel  Barrett,  calmly ; 
"  and  old  as  I  am,  I  trust  that  I  have  not  forgotten 
how  to  bear  arms  as  becomes  a  gentleman." 

At  this  moment  one  of  the  colonel's  servants  came 
into  the  room. 

"  Please,  suh,  deys  an  offisuh  fum  de  Constitution 
heah  to  see  de  cap'n." 

"Captain  Hull,  where  is  he?"  cried  a  young,  ex 
cited  voice. 

"  Here,  sir,"  answered  the  captain,  sharply.  "  Why 
do  you  call  so  loudly?  " 

"  Sir,"  said  the  midshipman,  saluting,  "  Lieutenant 
Read" — the  officer  left  in  command  during  Hull's 
absence  —  "has  sent  me  to  say  that  a  deserter  from 
the  Guerriere  came  aboard  the  Constitution  at  seven 
bells,  and  shortly  after  an  officer  from  that  ship  to 
demand  his  return." 

"What  answer  did  he  make  to  that  demand?"  re 
turned  Hull,  starting  forward  eagerly. 

"  He  said,  '  No,  sir,' "  responded  the  boy,  breath 
lessly. 

"What  else  did  he  do?" 

"  Beat  to  quarters,  sir." 

Hull  smiled  and  lifted  his  hands. 

"  Well  done  !  "  he  cried. 

The  Americans  in  the  room  broke  into  cheers. 

"  We  will  try  out  this  quarrel  on  the  decks  of  our 
ships,"  cried  Dacres,  fiercely.  "  Gentlemen,"  turn 
ing  to  his  officers,  "  to  your  stations.  Colonel  Bar 
rett,  we  thank  you  for  your  hospitality  and  bid  you 

42 


COLONEL  BARRETT  ASKS  QUESTIONS 

good-night.  Captain  Hull,  here  's  to  our  speedy  meet 
ing,"  and  laying  his  hand  upon  his  sword,  followed 
by  his  officers,  he  walked  proudly  out  of  the  room. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Hull,  smiling,  "we  have  a 
worthy  antagonist.  Let  us  go  to  our  stations. 
Colonel  Scott,  Major  Brady,  a  few  words  with  you, 
please.  Now,  gentlemen,"  said  Hull,  after  a  little 
whispered  conversation  with  the  two  army  officers, 
"  I  am  ready  to  go.  Colonel  Barrett,  good-night." 

"  Captain  Hull,"  said  the  old  colonel,  "as  there  is 
to  be  an  engagement,  I  trust  that  I  am  not  too  old  to 
remember  the  lessons  of  the  Revolution.  I  shall  be 
happy  to  serve  as  a  volunteer  with  you,  and  these 
gentlemen  here  will  desire  the  same  privilege,  I  am 
sure." 

"  Three  cheers  for  Colonel  Barrett,"  was  the  reply, 
and  they  were  given  with  a  will.  Then  Hull  con 
tinued  :  "  I  accept  your,  services,  gentlemen,  and  al 
though  I  cannot  take  you  on  a  cruise,  if  the  action 
is  to  be  fought  here,  you  will  be  of  great  help  to  us." 

Then  after  a  further  word  or  two  between  Captain 
Hull  and  the  military  officers,  the  whole  party  left 
the  house  and  rapidly  moved  across  the  lawn  toward 
the  bay. 

After  the  house  with  its  remaining  inmates  had 
resumed  its  normal  midnight  quietness,  two  fright 
ened  girls,  who  had  heard  from  the  chamber  they 
shared,  which  was  immediately  over  the  dining-room, 
the  noise  of  the  shot,  the  cheers,  the  roll  of  the  drum 
in  the  still  night,  and  had  caught  part  of  the  con 
versation  from  the  high  pitched  voices  which  in 
dicated  the  quarrel;  whose  hearts  were  filled  with 

43 


FOR   THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

curiosity  mingled  with  terror,  crept  softly  down  the 
stairs  and  into  the  empty  room.  Alas,  even  to 
women  in  that  period,  the  deserted  and  disordered 
apartment  told  the  not  uncommon  story. 

"  I  am  sure  I  distinguished  Blake's  voice,"  said 
Margaret. 

"  And  I,  Richard's,"  answered  Evelyn. 

"  They  must  have  been  the  principals  if  we  heard 
aright,"  replied  Margaret. 

"  Oh,  to  know  that  he  ...  they  are  safe,"  said 
Evelyn,  nervously. 

"  I  see  no  blood  stains,"  answered  Margaret,  shud 
dering  and  gazing  wildly  about  the  room. 

"  Oh,  what  is  that?  "  suddenly  cried  Evelyn,  point 
ing  toward  the  floor  in  front  of  the  shattered  mirror. 
Margaret  turned  and  stooped  swiftly.  "That"  was 
one  sunny  curl  that  had  been  clipt  from  Fairford's 
head  by  Heathcote's  bullet. 

"  Look,"  she  said,  holding  it  up  to  Evelyn's  gaze, 
"  I  see  it  all  now ;  Lieutenant  Heathcote  must  have 
stood  there  beneath  his  mother's  picture  and  Blake 
here.  There  was  but  one  shot,  you  know,  and  that 
cut  off  this  lock  of  hair,  then  there  was  an  interrup 
tion  of  some  sort,  and  now  they  have  gone.  He  is 
unharmed  .  .  .  both  of  them  .  .  .  thank  God." 

"You  are  right,"  said  Evelyn,  "I  see  it  too;  but 
do  you  care  so  much  for  Lieutenant  Fairford?"  she 
asked  softly. 

"I  love  him,"  said  Margaret,  hiding  her  face  in  her 
hands,  and  weeping  in  the  relief  of  the  assurance. 
"And  you,  Evelyn?"  she  resumed  in  a  moment, 
"  are  you  not  grateful  there  was  but  one  shot? 
That  they  are  both  safe?" 

44 


COLONEL  BARRETT  ASKS  QUESTIONS 

"  I  am  grateful  and  glad  indeed,"  said  the  more 
reticent  English  girl,  "  that  he  ...  both  are  safe, 
thankful  that  no  hand  is  stained  with  a  brother's 
blood,"  she  added  solemnly. 

"  More  than  glad  for  one  at  least,  are  you  not, 
Evelyn?"  cried  Margaret,  springing  forward  with 
impulsive  affection,  and  clasping  her  tall  friend  in 
her  arms.  "  See,  here  is  the  rose  he  wore  over  his 
heart.  I  gave  it  to  him,  but  that  is  nothing.  It  is 
you  he  loves;  will  you  not  keep  it?" 

Evelyn  took  it  with  a  long  sigh  of  relief  and  pressed 
it  to  her  lips.  "  You  are  a  sweet  child,  Margaret," 
she  said  gratefully.  "  Yes,  more  than  glad,  for  I 
too  ..."  and  then  Margaret  kissed  her  and  the  two 
girls  clung  to  each  other  in  a  new-born  affection  and 
sympathy,  which  not  all  the  wars  on  earth  could  ever 
break. 


CHAPTER  VI 
On  the  Deck  of  the  Constitution 

AT  the  end  of  the  wharf  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
Captain  Hull  found  one  of  the  Constitution's 
boats  waiting,  and  noticed  with  pleasure  that  the  men 
who  manned  it  were  armed.  The  little  party  was 
soon  embarked,  and,  under  the  impetus  of  the  well 
trained  and  vigorous  boat's  crew,  who  used  the  long 
and  steady  man-of-war  stroke,  the  cutter  disappeared 
in  the  direction  of  the  Constitution.  The  watchful 
officers  on  that  ship  presently  heard  the  rattle  of  the 
oars  in  the  row-locks,  and  then  made  out  a  dark  blur 
on  the  still  water. 

"  Boat  ahoy  !  "  cried  the  officer  of  the  deck. 

"  Constitution,"  was  the  reply  given  by  Hull  him 
self.  The  officer  at  once  sprang  toward  the  star 
board  gangway,  attended  by  the  other  officers,  who 
were  all  on  deck.  The  boatswain  and  his  mates 
ranged  themselves  about  the  entrance  with  the  side 
boys,  while  the  midshipman  in  charge  of  the  cutter 
brought  her  deftly  alongside  of  the  gangway,  when 
the  shrill  whistling  of  the  boatswain's  pipes,  as  the 
captain  stepped  aboard,  a  somewhat  unusual  practice 
at  night  by  the  way,  announced  the  arrival  of  the 
commanding  officer.  Acknowledging  the  salutes  of 
his  officers,  his  keen  vision  swept  across  the  decks 

45 


crowded  with  men  at  their  stations  and  lighted  by- 
long  lines  of  battle  lanterns. 

"Well,  Mr.  Read,"  he  said  to  the  lieutenant  in 
command,  "you  have  a  deserter  on  board?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  three." 

"  Three !  I  thought  you  said  one  from  the 
Guerriere." 

"  So  I  did,  sir,  but,  since  that  time,  two  more  have 
come  aboard  from  the  Lion." 

"  Gad,  gentlemen,"  said  Hull,  smiling,  "  if  this- 
keeps  up,  they  won't  have  men  enough  left  to  fight 
us.  Where  are  these  deserters?  I  wish  to  see 
them,"  he  continued,  walking  aft  to  the  quarter 
deck. 

"  Forward  there,"  cried  Lieutenant  Read,  sharply ; 
"pass  the  word  for  the  men  from  the  Lion  and  the 
Guerriere  to  lay  aft  to  the  quarter-deck." 

In  a  few  moments,  three  men  still  dripping  with 
water  from  their  long  swim,  presented  themselves 
before  the  captain. 

"What  is  your  name?  "  he  asked  of  the  smallest. 

"  Badely,  sir,  Bill  Badely,  at  your  honor's  service," 
answered  the  man,  with  an  unmistakable  English 
accent,  making  a  sea  scrape  with  his  foot,  and  knuck 
ling  his  forehead  by  way  of  salute. 

"And  you  are  an  American,  are  you?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"Where  were  you  born?" 

"  In  Boston,  sir." 

"  Oh,  you  were,  were  you?  Boston,  England,  most 
likely."  The  man  grinned  sheepishly. 

"What's  your  name?"  asked  the  captain  of  the 
elder  of  the  other  two,  a  man  of  gigantic  build. 

47 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"John  Martin,  sir,  and  this  is  my  son  Samuel 
AVe  were  ..." 

"  Steady,"  said  Hull,  sharply,  "  do  not  volunteer 
any  information  until  you  are  asked  for  it.  You  are 
not  an  old  man-o'-vvar's  man,  are  you  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  we  're  fishermen." 

"  Where  are  you  from?  " 

"  Massachusetts,  sir.     Gloucester." 

"  So  I  should  judge  from  hearing  you  speak.  Are 
you  two  from  the  Lion?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Ah,  and  you,  Badely,  from  the  Guerriere,  I 
suppose?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  How  came  you  and  your  son  to  get  on  the  Lion, 
Martin?" 

"  We  were  kidnapped  two  weeks  ago  from  the 
-schooner  Eliza  Ann  by  the  d — d,  murdering  ..." 

"  Avast  there,  that  will  do,"  said  Hull,  sternly. 
"  I  do  all  the  swearing  that  is  done  on  this  quarter 
deck  myself.  Go  forward  all  of  you." 

"  Beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  said  the  elder  Martin, 
touching  his  forehead  respectfully  as  he  realized 
something  of  the  nature  of  the  captain  with  whom  he 
was  dealing;  "  may  I  speak,  sir?" 

"  What  is  it?     Out  with  it." 

"  You  won't  give  us  up,  sir,  will  you?  " 

The  question  was  perfectly  audible  throughout  the 
ship,  the  men  of  which  were  listening  with  strained 
attention  for  the  reply. 

"  No  !  "  said  Hull,  with  emphasis. 

"  Three  cheers  for  Captain  Hull !  "  shouted  the 
chief  boatswain's  mate,  an  old  seaman  by  the  name 

43 


ON  THE   DECK   OF  THE   CONSTITUTION 

of  Joe  Rhodes,  who  was  standing  near  the  mainmast 
in  the  waist  of  the  ship,  and  the  "  fir-built "  frigate 
rang  from  truck  to  keelson  with  the  wild  shouts  of 
the  crew. 

The  captain,  not  ill-pleased,  turned  to  Mr.  Read. 

"  Relate  me  all  the  circumstances  as  they  occurred, 
sir." 

"  About  seven  bells  in  the  first  night  watch  a  man 
from  the  Guerriere  came  alongside.  His  escape 
must  have  been  discovered  immediately,  for  a  boat 
followed  soon  after  with  an  officer  and  a  demand  for 
his  surrender.  I  refused  to  return  him  without  con 
sulting  you,  and,  as  the  Englishman  was  abusive  and 
threatening,  I  thought  it  best  to  call  all  hands  to 
their  stations,  while  I  sent  a  messenger  to  you.  A 
short  time  ago  the  other  two  came  aboard  from  the 
Lion.  That  is  all,  sir." 

"  You  have  done  well,  sir,"  replied  the  captain, 
"  very  well  indeed.  Now,  gentlemen,  to  your  stations 
all.  Mr.  Fairford,  look  to  the  batteries.  Sailing 
master,  I  want  springs  got  on  the  cables  at  once,  in 
case  it  becomes  necessary  to  wind  her.  Thank  God, 
we  are  moored  to  that  buoy  astern  as  well  as  an 
chored  ahead,  it  gives  us  a  command  of  her  that  we 
may  need.  Let  the  men  remain  at  their  stations  by 
the  guns,  Mr.  Fairford,  and  keep  all  fast  until  I 
give  the  order.  Let  the  officers  keep  a  strict  watch  of 
the  enemy  and  report  at  once  the  first  suspicious 
movement.  Colonel  Barrett  and  the  other  gentle 
men  will  remain  with  me  on  the  quarter-deck.  The 
armorer  will  provide  you  with  arms,  gentlemen,  of 
which  I  am  sure  you  will  make  good  use  in  case  of 
need." 

4  49 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF   THE   SEA 

At  this  moment  the  noise  of  an  approaching  boat 
was  heard. 

"  Boat  ahoy !  "  was  the  hail  from  the  ship. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  came  the  response. 

"  What  boat  is  that?" 

"  Boat  from  the  Guerriere." 

"  Boat  ahoy,"  again  shouted  the  lieutenant  on  the 
quarter-deck,  as  another  cutter  came  shooting  out  of 
the  darkness ;  "  what  boat  is  that?  " 

"  Boat  from  the  Lion." 

The  two  boats  speedily  reached  the  gangway,  and 
an  officer  left  each  and  mounted  to  the  deck. 

"Is  Captain  Hull  aboard?"  said  the  first  one, 
Lieutenant  Howard  of  the  Lion. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I  have  a  message  for  him  from  Captain 
Cunningham." 

"  And  I,  one  from  Captain  Dacres,"  said  the 
second  officer,  who  was  Lieutenant  Heathcote. 

A  midshipman  at  this  moment  came  up  and  saluted. 

"  Captain  Hull's  compliments,  sir.  Will  the  gentle 
men  be  kind  enough  to  lay  aft  to  the  quarter-deck?  " 

When  the  two  officers  reached  the  quarter-deck, 
they  found  Captain  Hull  surrounded  by  a  little  group 
of  officers,  waiting  for  them.  After  a  ceremonious 
interchange  of  salutations,  Lieutenant  Howard  opened 
the  conversation. 

"  We  are  informed,  sir,  that  you  have  on  board 
two  men  named  Martin,  deserters  from  the  Lion." 

"  And  one  named  Badely,  a  deserter  from  the 
Guerriere,"  added  Heathcote. 

"Your  information  is  correct,  gentlemen,"  res 
ponded  Hull. 

50 


ON   THE   DECK   OF  THE   CONSTITUTION 

"  Such  being  the  case,"  said  Howard,  "  I  beg  to- 
present  Captain  Cunningham's  compliments  and 
transmit  his  demand  that  the  men  be  given  up  at 
once."  The  officer's  manner  was  arrogant  and  insult 
ing  to  the  last  degree. 

"  I  have  the  same  demand  to  make  on  behalf  of 
Captain  Dacres  for  the  Guerriere's  man,"  said  Heath- 
cote,  in  the  same  rude  way. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Hull,  his  face  flushing  at  the 
offensive  language  and  manner  of  the  two  English 
men,  "I  beg 'to  present  my  compliments  to  your 
respective  captains,  and  inform  them  that  the  men  in 
question  claim  to  be  American  citizens,  and  I  can 
not  give  them  up." 

"  Such  being  your  answer,"  said  Howard,  threaten 
ingly,  "  I  am  directed  to  state  that  Captain  Cunning 
ham  proposes  to  have  those  men  of  his,  even  if  he 
has  to  use  force  to  secure  them." 

"  Captain  Dacres  is  of  the  same  opinion,  and  the 
two  ships  are  prepared  to  co-operate  if  necessary  — 
though  that  would  hardly  be  the  case  —  to  effect  the 
thing  at  once,"  added  Heathcote,  imperiously,  laying 
his  hand  on  his  sword. 

"  Very  good,  gentlemen,"  said  Hull,  recovering  his 
'composure  with  difficulty  in  the  face  of  this  unparal 
leled  insult  to  him  on  his  own  quarter-deck,  "you 
have  delivered  your  messages,  and  I  am  indebted  to 
Captains  Dacres  and  Cunningham  for  the  extremely 
courteous  manner  in  which  they  couched  their  terms 
as  well  as  for  their  happy  choice  of  messengers.  As 
to  my  reply,  you  shall  have  it  in  this  way  ..." 

"  Beat  to  quarters,  there!  "  he  shouted  in  a  voice  of 
thunder,  and,  as  soon  as  he  could  be  heard  above  the 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

long  roll  of  the  drum,  he  continued  in  succession,  as 
each  order  was  obeyed :  "  Cast  loose  and  provide! 
Man  the  starboard  battery  !  Run  in  !  Load  f  Let  the 
guns  be  double  shotted !  Run  out  !  Let  the  forward 
division  train  on  the^Guerriere,  the  others  on  the  Lion  ! 
Stand  by  the  guns  !  " 

The  men,  with  hearts  full  of  joy,  sprang  to  their 
work,  and,  at  the  words  of  command,  cast  loose  from 
their  sea  lashings  the  massive  guns  of  the  ship's 
battery,  ran  them  in,  loaded  them  swiftly,  and  then 
ran  them  out  like  playthings.  The  ports  of  the  ship 
were  thrown  open,  and  the  lights  from  the  battle 
lanterns  streamed  out  over  the  dark  waters,  while 
the  guns  were  trained  and  swung  to  right  or  left  by 
their  eager  crews. 

"  Boat  ahoy !  "  was  heard  again  in  sudden  inter 
ruption.  "  What  boat  is  that?  " 

"  Message  from  Colonel  Scott,  sir,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Come  aboard,  here,"  promptly  replied  an  officer 
at  the  port  gangway. 

A  young  lieutenant  of  artillery  soon  stepped  upon 
the  quarter-deck  and  saluted  the  captain. 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Captain  Hull. 

"  Colonel  Scott's  compliments,  sir,  and  he  has 
complied  with  your  request.  His  artillery  is  now 
unlimbered,  with  the  guns  trained  on  the  two  British 
ships.  They  are  in  easy  range,  he  says,  and  he  awaits 
your  signal  to  commence  firing." 

"  Good,"  replied  Hull.  "  Tell  him  when  we  let  go 
the  Constitution's  battery,  it  will  be  a  signal  for  him 
to  join  in." 

"  Major  Brady,"  continued  the  lieutenant,  "  bade 
ine  say  that  he  has  his  riflemen  lined  up  behind  the 

52 


ON   THE   DECK   OF   THE   CONSTITUTION 

fence  on  the  bank,  and  not  a  soul  can  live  on  the  tops 
and  decks  of  those  English  ships  if  you  give  the 
word." 

"  Good  again,"  said  Hull,  "  tell  him  to  begin  when 
he  sees  us  open  fire.  Now,  gentlemen,"  he  added, 
turning  to  the  two  English  officers,  who  had  heard 
the  report  of  the  lieutenant,  and  witnessed  the  action 
of  the  American  captain,  with  ill-concealed  rage, 
"  you  may  have  my  answer,  if  these,"  with  a  wave  of 
his  hand  toward  the  main  deck,  "  have  not  told  it  to 
you.  The  men  you  speak  of  claim  to  be  Americans. 
I  am  bound  to  believe  their  statements.  They  have- 
applied  to  me,  to  protect  them  in  their  rights.  They 
are  now  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  American  flag. 
I  apply  your  own  theory,  and  your  own  course  of 
procedure  in  the  case.  Once  under  the  flag,  always 
under  it.  They  are  here,  and  they  shall  remain  here. 
If  your  captains  wish  to  take  them,  and  are  able  to  do 
so,  they  are  welcome  to  make  the  attempt,  but,  may 
I  be  lost  eternally,  if  I  give  them  up  so  long  as  one 
plank  clings  to  another  on  this  old  ship." 

"Very  good,  sir,"  replied  Lieutenant  Howard, 
haughtily.  "  Come,  Heathcote,"  he  added,  turning 
away. 

"  Gad,  sir,"  shrieked  Heathcote,  white  with  passion, 
and  exercising  less  constraint  over  himself,  "  if  we 
Guerrieres  ever  catch  your  pine  coffin  on  the  high 
seas  ..." 

"  Enough,  sir  !  "  thundered  Hull.  "  I  recognize  no 
privilege  conferred  by  your  position  as  a  messenger 
that  gives  you  the  right  to  insult  me  twice  on  my 
own  ship.  Leave  it,  sir,  and  do  not  come  back 
again,  unless  at  the  head  of  a  boarding  party.  Mr. 

53 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

Fairford,  will  you  escort  these  gentlemen  over  the 
side?" 

"  Three  cheers  again  for  Captain  Hull !  "  shouted 
the  boatswain's  mate,  and,  with  the  ominous  voices 
of  the  American  sailors  ringing  in  their  ears,  the  two 
officers  left  the  ship. 


CHAPTER  VII 

The  English  Give  up  the  Game 

WHEN  the  Englishmen  reached  their  respective 
ships,  the  two  frigates  awoke  to  life  immedi 
ately.  The  rolling  of  their  drums  again  broke  the 
quiet  of  the  still  night,  and  the  eager  watchers  on  the 
Constitution,  with  ears  trained  by  long  practice, 
quickly  detected  other  notes  of  preparation  which 
indicated  that  the  ships  were  clearing  for  action. 

With  perfect  equanimity  Captain  Hull  and  his  men 
awaited  the  battle  storm  which  seemed  about  to  break 
upon  them.  The  Constitution  alone  would  have  been 
no  match  for  the  two  British  ships,  one  of  which,  as 
has  been  stated,  was  a  "  razee,"  that  is,  a  cut  down  line- 
of-battle  ship,  of  fifty  guns ;  but,  with  the  assistance 
of  Colonel  Scott's  battery,  which  was  so  placed  that  it 
could  deliver  a  deadly  plunging,  raking  fire  from 
above  with  but  little  chance  for  a  return  from  the 
ships,  and  with  the  swarm  of  Major  Brady's  riflemen, 
excellent  shots  —  as  were  all  American  woodsmen  of 
that  day  —  posted  behind  light  breastworks  on  the 
hill  and  easily  able  to  pick  off  the  exposed  English 
men  on  the  decks,  the  chances  of  the  combat  were 
more  than  equalized. 

Though  Hull  expected  and  was  indeed  willing  to 
be  sunk  at  his  anchors,  if  his  antagonists  attempted  to 
carry  out  their  threats,  it  was  more  than  likely  that 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

they  would  be  worth  nothing  for  offensive  or  defen 
sive  purposes  when  the  conflict  was  over.  About 
the  only  people  who  did  not  share  the  universal  idea 
of  British  supremacy  on  the  seas,  were  the  little  band 
of  officers  of  the  American  Navy;  and,  since  the 
trouble  arose  entirely  over  ships  and  sailors,  they 
were  especially  anxious  for  that  trial  of  strength  and 
skill  and  seamanship  and  gunnery  of  which  they  soon 
showed  themselves  such  masterly  exponents. 

Consequently,  when  Captain  Hull  left  the  quarter 
deck,  and  walked  up  and  down  among  his  officers 
and  men  at  their  stations  in  the  batteries,  with  a  word 
of  grim  pleasantry  here  and  there,  he  was  met  with 
such  a  spirit  of  determination  and  eagerness  as  left 
nothing  to  be  desired. 

The  scene  was  indeed  a  striking  one.  Little  groups 
of  men  at  their  appointed  stations,  many  of  them 
stripped  to  the  waist,  clustered  about  the  massive 
artillery,  which  was  illuminated  by  the  bright  light 
from  the  long  rows  of  battle  lanterns ;  the  light  was 
reflected  from  the  polished  cannon  upon  whose  beau- 
tification  the  different  crews  had  expended  much 
assiduous  labor,  often  giving  the  guns  names  as  if 
they  were  human  beings ;  the  white  decks  were  cov 
ered  with  the  moving  shadows  of  the  eager  men ; 
convenient  to  hand  were  racks  of  glittering  pikes  and 
muskets;  here  and  there  a  cutlass  was  poised  in 
some  nervous  hand. 

Below,  out  of  sight,  the  surgeon  and  his  mates  in 
the  cockpit  —  word  of  ominous  and  bloody  signifi 
cance —  were  arranging  the  simple  surgical  instru 
ments  of  the  period;  the  gunner  and  his  men  were 
prepared  to  hand  out  the  charges  from  the  maga 

56 


THE   ENGLISH   GIVE   UP  THE   GAME 

zine  to  the  eager  powder  boys  crowded  about  the 
hatchways. 

Above,  the  marines  on  the  poop-deck  and  the  fore 
castle,  the  sail-trimmers  in  the  gangways  and  about 
the  masts,  with  the  topmen  aloft  in  the  tops,  com 
pleted  the  preparations.  When  Hull's  brief  inspection 
had  been  concluded,  he  returned  to  the  quarter-deck 
and  briefly  addressed  the  men,  exhorting  them  one 
and  all  to  do  their  duty;  reminding  them  at  the  same 
time,  that  the  fight  was  peculiarly  their  own.  As  he 
finished  his  terse  remarks,  Joe  Rhodes,  the  boatswain's 
mate,  leaped  upon  the  breech  of  a  gun. 

"  Men,"  he  shouted  in  his  powerful  voice,  "  let  the 
quarter-deck  look  to  the  colors.  We  '11  take  care  of 
the  guns." 

The  response  was  a  hurricane  roar  of,  "Ay,  Ays," 
followed  by  three  more  ringing  cheers,  while  some  of 
the  younger  men  broke  into  the  lively  steps  of  the 
sailor's  hornpipe,  and  all  were  smiling  as  if  they  were 
going  to  a  party  of  pleasure  rather  than  verging  upon 
the  imminent  breach  of  a  possible  battle  against 
heavy  odds. 

"  With  such  a  crew,  and  such  a  ship,  I  think  we 
will  give  a  good  account  of  ourselves  in  case  Dacres 
and  Cunningham  attempt  to  enforce  their  demands," 
said  the  captain  to  his  first  lieutenant. 

"  We  all  hope  so,"  responded  the  latter,  eagerly, 
"  I  will  answer  for  the  men  in  any  contingency,  sir." 

Inasmuch  as  the  training  and  efficiency  of  a  ship 
and  her  company  largely  depend  upon  the  capability 
and  zeal  of  her  first  lieutenant,  Fairford  certainly 
spoke  with  authority. 

"  Well  do  I  know  it,  my  lad,"  said  the  captain, 
57 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

kindly.     "  Let  us  go  up  aft  and  see  what  the  English 
are  doing." 

The  English  appeared  to  be  in  a  state  of  uncer 
tainty.  It  was  evident  that  both  ships  had  their  men 
at  quarters,  and  were  clear  for  action.  Their  ports 
were  open,  and  the  lights  from  the  battle  lanterns 
brilliantly  illuminated  the  water  about  them.  Rous 
ing  cheers  had  been  heard  from  time  to  time  from 
their  decks.  One  of  the  Lion's  boats  had  been  seen 
making  its  way  to  the  Guerriere,  and  it  was  presumed 
that  a  consultation  was  going  on  between  the  two 
captains.  Hull  and  his  lieutenant  walked  the  deck 
together,  its  regular  occupants  having  withdrawn  to 
the  other  side.  Colonel  Barrett  and  the  gentlemen 
volunteers,  all  full  of  eagerness  for  the  fight,  were 
grouped  a  little  distance  away  upon  the  quarter 
deck. 

"'Tell  me,  Blake,"  said  Hull,  dropping  the  com 
manding  officer  in  the  friend,  for  he  had  known  Fair- 
ford  since  the  latter  had  been  a  boy  reefer  with  him 
•on  the  old  frigate  John  Adams,  "  was  there  anything 
back  of  that  quarrel  you  had  in  the  house?  " 

Fairford  hesitated.  He  was  usually  reticent,  his 
'loneliness  had  made  him  so,  but  he  was  devoted  to 
&is  captain,  not  only  as  an  officer  but  as  a  friend. 

"  Yes,  sir,  there  was." 

*<  A  woman?  "  asked  Hull. 

'*'  Miss  Barrett,"  answered  Fairford,  "  that  waltz 
,  .  .  the  rose  she  gave  him.  .  .  ." 

'*  Put  not  your  trust  in  woman,"  said  Hull,  with  a 
gloomy  cynicism  unusual  to  one  of  his  cheerful  dis 
position,  and  one  who  was  noted  for  his  habitual 
consideration -of  and  gentle  courtesy  to  all  women. 

58 


THE   ENGLISH   GIVE   UP  THE   GAME 

"  Once  I  myself  had  .  .  .  well  .  .  .  She  laughed 
at  me,  my  lad,  when  I  had  only  one  swab  on  my 
shoulder,  and,  when  I  was  posted  captain,  she 
laughed  again,  and  said  she  would  n't  marry  any 
American  sailor  while  all  our  ships  were  afraid  of 
every  cock-boat  that  flew  the  English  flag;  so  I  have 
put  her  out  of  my  mind  altogether,  and  now  I  am 
wedded  to  my  ship.  It's  a  sailor's  best  bride,  Fair- 
ford,  believe  me." 

Fairford,  who  noticed  that  his  captain  sighed 
deeply  nevertheless,  received  this  rather  astonishing 
confession  in  silence,  and  the  two  continued  to  pace 
up  and  down  together,  until  Hull,  awaking  from  his 
reverie,  and  perhaps  ashamed  of  his  confidence,  sent 
the  first  lieutenant  to  his  station,  directing  him  to 
allow  the  men  of  the  gun  crews  to  go  to  sleep  beside 
their  guns,  their  captains  only  remaining  on  the  alert, 
since  no  movement  had  been  made  by  the  English. 

Thenceforth,  until  the  gray  dawn  came  stealing 
over  the  hills,  he  walked  his  deck  alone,  buried  in  his 
own  thoughts,  though  never  for  a  moment  losing 
sight  of  his  antagonists,  all  the  men  in  his  little  com 
pany  respecting  his  silence.  When  the  day  broke, 
Dacres  and  Cunningham,  who  had  been  much  per 
plexed  as  to  the  action  to  be  taken,  and  in  whose 
otherwise  simple  calculations  Scott's  batteries  and 
Brady's  riflemen  had  obtruded  themselves  as  very 
disturbing  factors,  saw  with  their  own  eyes  the  unten 
able  nature  of  their  position. 

The  morning  also  brought  reflection.  War  had 
not  yet  been  declared,  they  would  bide  their  time. 
After  a  hasty  consultation,  therefore,  without  more 
ado,  their  men  were  called  from  their  quarters  and 

59 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

ordered  to  get  the  ships  under  way.  The  anchors 
were  soon  a-trip  and  the  ships,  covered  with  clouds  of 
canvas,  slipped  away  before  the  fresh  breeze  without 
any  further  interchange  of  courtesies,  and  with  the 
derisive  cheers  of  the  Americans,  in  which  the  men 
of  Colonel  Scott's  battery  and  the  Infantry  uproari 
ously  joined,  ringing  in  their  ears.  The  Constitu 
tion's  men  were  not  happy,  however,  if  one  could 
judge  from  the  remarks  of  Rhodes,  who  said  sotto 
voce,  in  the  hearing  of  the  captain,  — 

"  Dash  it  all,  don't  we  get  no  fightin1  at  all  after 
all  this  night  performance?" 

*'  You  shall  have  all  you  want,  Rhodes,  and  that  be 
fore  long,  or  I  am  not  a  prophet,"  said  Hull,  smiling. 
"Mr.  Fairford,  pipe  to  breakfast;  Colonel  Barrett, 
gentlemen,  will  you  honor  me?  " 


60 


CHAPTER  VIII 

A  Rose  Rejected 

LATE  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  English  ships 
had  long  since  disappeared  down  the  bay  and 
were  well  on  their  way  to  the  sea,  a  boat  was  called 
away,  and  Colonel  Barrett  and  the  other  gentlemen 
were  taken  back  to  the  Hall.  They  were  accom 
panied  by  Lieutenants  Fairford  and  Ludlow.  On  the 
arrival  of  the  party  at  the  house,  they  found  the 
ladies  congregated  on  the  porch,  and  greatly  excited 
over  the  mysterious  happenings  of  the  night  and 
morning,  of  which  they  had  somehow  become  aware. 

They  swarmed  about  the  men  with  eager  inquiries, 
and  the  conversation  soon  became  general.  A  thrill 
of  delight  pervaded  Margaret's  heart  when  she  saw 
Fairford  unharmed,  and,  although  that  gentleman 
continued  to  regard  her  with  the  gloomy  animosity 
and  grave  dissatisfaction  of  the  previous  evening,  she 
was  filled  with  joy  in  the  consciousness  of  their 
mutual  affection.  She  believed  of  course  that  the 
estrangement  between  them  would  be  temporary  at 
most,  and  waited  impatiently  for  a  moment  alone 
with  him  to  effect  a  reconciliation. 

"Can  you  tell  me,"  said  Evelyn  to  Lieutenant  Lud 
low,  when  she  had  with  much  dexterity  made  an 
opportunity  to  see  him  alone,  "  if  all  of  the  English 
officers  were  unharmed  after  last  night?  " 

6x 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

As  she  spoke,  in  spite  of  her  self-control,  she  found 
herself  blushing  deeply. 

"All  of  them,  I  believe,  were  perfectly  safe  when 
the  ships  sailed  away." 

"Are  you  sure?     Was  my  cousin  .  .  .  ?  " 

"  He  was  as  well  as  the  rest,"  said  Ludlow.  "Tell 
me,  Miss  Evelyn,  is  it  only  because  of  your  relation 
ship  as  his  cousin  that  you  ask?  " 

"Surely,"  said  Evelyn,  drawing  herself  up  in  sur 
prise;  "but  by  what  right  do  you  question?  " 

"  By  no  right,  unless  the  fact  that  I  love  you  my 
self  confers  the  privilege,"  he  said  promptly. 

"  I  never  thought  of  this,  Mr.  Ludlow,"  she  said  in 
great  surprise  at  this  blunt  and  sailor-like  declaration. 

"Did  you  not?  I  was  afraid  all  the  world  could 
see  it,  but  is  it  too  late?  Won't  you  think  of  it 
now?" 

She  shook  her  head  sadly,  in  pity  for  the  gallant 
young  man,  the  sincerity  of  whose  affection  she  could 
not  doubt,  in  spite  of  the  suddenness  of  its  declara 
tion,  and  the  haste  in  which  it  had  come  into  being, 
after  a  short  week  of  companionship.  * 

"  No,  I  cannot  even  dream  of  such  things,  nor  must 
you.  You  will  soon  forget  it,  I  am  sure.  Believe 
me,  I  am  sorry." 

"  Sorry  enough  to  give  me  one  of  those  roses  you 
wear?"  he  said,  mournfully  accepting  the  inevitable, 
which  spoke  in  her  voice,  as  she  calmly  met  his 
prompt  decisiveness  with  her  own. 

"  Certainly.  Why  not?  "  she  replied,  giving  him  the 
choicest  bud  of  those  she  held.  "  Now  let  us  rejoin 
the  rest,  and  we  will  both  forget  this  little  episode," 
and  she  extended  her  hand  to  him,  smiling  kindly.  . 

62 


A   ROSE   REJECTED 

"  As  you  will,"  he  answered,  bowing  gravely  over 
her  friendly  hand,  "  but  it  is  not  an  episode  to  me,, 
unless  life  and  death  are  but  episodes  after  all." 

Far  down  the  road  leading  over  the  hills  back  of 
the  plantation,  which  was  for  a  long  distance  in  full 
view  of  the  party  on  the  porch,  a  horseman  could  be 
seen  rapidly  coming  toward  them.  He  rode  in  haste 
as  if  pursued.  When  he  drew  rein  on  the  gravelled' 
walk  before  the  door,  they  saw  that  his  horse  was 
covered  with  foam,  panting  and  exhausted.  The  man' 
leaned  from  the  saddle. 

"  In  the  service  of  the  Government,"  he  cried,, 
"  Captain  Hull  of  the  Constitution?" 

"  He  is  on  his  ship  below,  yonder,"  answered 
Colonel  Barrett.  "Do  you  bear  news?"  he  added, 
as  the  messenger  gathered  up  the  reins  and  turned 
toward  the  wharf. 

"Yes,  sir;  war  has  been  declared  with  England,, 
and  I  have  orders  for  the  Constitution  to  get  to  sea/* 
he  cried,  striking  his  spurs  into  his  jaded  steed. 

"  Hold,  sir,"  said  Colonel  Barrett,  quickly;  "  two 
of  that  ship's  officers  are  here,  and  will  take  you  on, 
board.  Leave  your  horse  with  us  till  you  return." 

"  Come,  Ludlow,"  cried  Fairford,  full  of  excitement.. 
"  Good  bye,  Colonel  Barrett,"  he  added  as  he  wrung 
the  old  soldier's  hand. 

"  God  bless  you,  my  boy,"  was  the  answer,  and 
then  raising  his  hat  gracefully  to  the  ladies,  the  young 
officer  turned  to  the  messenger. 

"  Come  this  way,  sir." 

'Margaret's  heart  sank  within  her  as  the  little  party 
walked  rapidly  down  the  walk  past  the  end  of  the- 

63 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

porch.  She  detached  herself  from  the  rest  and  ran 
fleetly  to  intercept  them. 

•"  Blake,"  she  called  softly. 

<'  Go  on,"  said  the  young  man  to  his  companions, 
*'  I  will  overtake  you."  He  turned  and  stood  before 
her  with  bared  head. 

"  Blake,"  she  said  again,  holding  out  her  hand, 
*'  you  are  not  going  away  without  saying  good  bye  to 
tne,  are  you?  " 

He  made  no  answer,  and  she  went  on  timidly,  de 
taching  a  rose  from  those  she  wore  at  her  breast, 
*'  won't  you  take  a  rose  now?" 

"  Your  roses  are  too  generally  distributed,  Margaret, 
for  them  to  be  of  great  value."  She  shrank  back 
before  his  bitter  words,  and  he  went  on  mercilessly : 
*'  Perhaps  if  we  overtake  the  Guerriere,  I  can  get  one 
from  my  brother  ...  if  I  wish  it-  after  last  night," 
he  added,  meaningly.  Her  little  hand  dropped  by 
her  side  at  his  bitter  words,  and  the  neglected  rose 
fell  at  her  feet.  Where  had  her  pride  gone?  Ap 
parently  he  had  it  all  as  he  had  her  heart.  Her  eyes 
swam  with  tears. 

"  Good  fortune  to  you  .  .  .  farewell,"  she  whispered. 

"  Thank  you,  good  bye,"  he  said  coldly  with  fool 
ish  pride;  and  then  after  hesitating  a  moment  he 
turned  upon  his  heel  and  ran  rapidly  after  his 
.disappearing  companions. 

""  God  bring  him  safely  back  to  me,"  she  murmured, 
rand  then,  avoiding  the  rest,  sought  the  quiet  of  her 
,  chamber. 

"  What  have  you  there,  Robert?  "  said  Fairford,  to 
Ahis  friend  as  they  sat  in  the  boat. 

64 


A   ROSE   REJECTED 

"  Nothing  but  a  flower  and  a  memory,  Blake,"  was 
•the  reply. 

"  I  have  no  flower  and  I  wish  to  heaven  I  had  no 
memory,"  said  Fairford,  bitterly,  looking  back  to  the 
white  house  on  the  hill. 

"  Muster  the  crew,"  said  Hull,  calmly,  when  he  had 
read  his  orders.  "  My  lads,"  he  said  to  the  men  as 
they  ranged  themselves  around  the  mast,  crowding 
the  gangways  and  filling  the  waist,  "  war  has  been 
declared  against  Great  Britain.  We  are  ordered  to 
sea  with  special  instructions  to  look  out  for  the 
Guerriere.  We  will  get  under  way  at  once  and 
perhaps  we  may  overhaul  her  to-morrow.  Mr.  Fair- 
ford,  take  the  ship." 

"All  hands  up  anchor!  "  shouted  the  young  lieu 
tenant  in  exultation,  leaping  upon  the  bridge  amid 
the  cheers  of  the  men.  "  Man  the  capstan !  " 

Had  they  been  returning  home  from  a  foreign 
cruise  the  men  could  not  have  surpassed  the  eager 
ness  with  which  they  sprung  to  the  bars.  To  the 
rude  tune  of  some  time-honored  chantey,  or  song, 
the  anchor  was  jerked  from  its  oozy  bed  and  catted 
and  fished  in  an  incredibly  short  time.  At  the  word 
of  command  the  eager  topmen  sprang  into  the 
shrouds  and  spread  themselves  upon  the  soarin-g 
yards.  Cloth  after  cloth  of  snowy  canvas  was 
unfurled;  the  sheets  hauled  home;  the  yards  mast 
headed  with  a  will,  until  the  old  frigate,  bowing  to 
the  gentle  breeze,  started  forth  upon  that  career  of 
•conquest  which  was  to  make  her  the  most  famous 
ship  in  history.  The  cheers  of  the  Artillerymen  and 
the  Infantrymen  on  the  banks  bade  them  God  speed. 

As  they  passed  the  little  summer  house  on  the 
5  65 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF   THE   SEA 

brow  of  the  hill,  the  colonel  and  the  others  with  the 
little  group  of  women  waved  their  hands  in  farewell. 

One  there  was,  small  and  weak  and  brown,  who, 
from  her  chamber  window,  watched  the  great  ship 
speeding  down  the  bay,  till  she  was  lost  in  the  falling 
night.  Her  trembling  hands  pressed  a  neglected  red 
rose  to  her  lips  as  she  bowed  her  head  upon  the 
window  ledge  in  something  not  unlike  despair. 


66 


"OLD   IRONSIDES" 


CHAPTER    IX 
Master  Rhodes'  Opinion  of  the  Captain 

TWO  months  had  elapsed  since  the  declaration 
of  war.  On  the  afternoon  of  Wednesday, 
August  the  nineteenth,  the  frigate  Constitution 
under  all  plain  sail,  about  eight  hundred  miles  off 
the  Massachusetts  coast,  or  as  the  sights  at  noon 
had  indicated  in  latitude  41°  41'  North,  longitude  55° 
48'  West,  was  moving  swiftly  southward.  Several 
prizes  had  been  taken  since  she  left  Boston,  which 
she  had  visited  after  her  brilliant  escape  from  the 
British  fleet  in  the  preceding  month,  but  nothing  of 
any  great  importance  had  as  yet  occurred  on  this 
cruise. 

Several  English  frigates  were  known  to  be  off  the 
coast,  however,  and  the  Constitution  had  a  lookout 
at  every  masthead  eagerly  sweeping  the  sea.  Both 
watches  had  finished  dinner,  and  as  the  afternoon 
drills  had  not  yet  begun,  the  Jackies  were  having  a 
few  moments  of  idleness,  which  they  employed  as 
usual  in  smoking,  skylarking,  or  yarning.  After 
noon  grog  had  just  been  served  out,  and  there  had 
been  much  smacking  of  lips  over  the  small  modicum 
of  the  fiery  mixture  of  rum  and  water  allotted  to  each 
individual.  One  jolly  seaman  in  the  gangway  was 
trolling  out  the  verse  of  a  song:  — 

69 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"  Here  'j grog  enough;  come  drink  about, 
I  know  your  hearts  are  firm  and  stout, 
American  blood  ivill  never  give  out, 
And  often  ive  have  proved  it" 

Forward  on  the  topgallant  forecastle,  Master  Rhodes, 
the  old  boatswain's  mate,  was  holding  forth  to  an 
admiring  group  of  the  more  substantial  sea-worthies 
congregated  there. 

"  Well,  wot  kind  of  a  man  do  you  think  the  old 
man  would  be  in  a  fight,  matey?"  asked  one  old  salt 
who  had  made  many  voyages  in  Baltimore  clippers, 
speaking  with  the  soft  drawl  of  the  South  which  even 
the  rough  sea  could  not  alter.  "  You  see,  most  of  us 
is  from  the  merchant  service,  an'  aint  had  no  experi 
ence  afore  in  warships." 

"  Ay,"  said  another,  with  an  unmistakable  Yankee 
twang,  "  we  Ve  been  wondering  wot  he  'd  do  if  we  'd 
rise  a  British  frigate  off  yonder." 

"We  know  he  is  a  prime  seaman  right  enough," 
added  a  third.  "  Any  man  as  ever  handled  a  wheel 
or  passed  a  weather  earrin'  can  see  that  all  right." 

"  Well  now,  mates,"  said  old  Rhodes,  thoughtfully 
removing  a  spent  chew  of  tobacco  from  his  capacious 
mouth,  and  flipping  the  quid  over  the  side,  "  I  '11  tell 
you  that  he 's  as  good  a  fighter  as  he  is  a  sailor,  an' 
I  can't  say  no  mor  'n  that,  can  I  ?  " 

"  No,  ye  can't." 

"  That 's  good  enough,  sure." 

"  True  for  you,  old  man,"  were  the  responses. 

"  You  know  wot  sort  of  a  seaman  he  is.  You  saw 
him  git  away  from  that  English  squadron  we  run 
into  last  month,  an'  them  as  shipped  at  Boston  an' 
did  n't  see  it  have  heard  tell  of  it." 

70 


"  Aint  heard  nothin'  but  that  since  I  come  aboard," 
growled  a  young  foretopman,  strolling  across  the  deck 
and  joining  in  the  conversation. 

"Well,  that  was  good  work,"  continued  Rhodes, 
disdaining  the  interruption,  "  towin'  when  we  could 
tow,  kedgin'  when  we  could  kedge,  histin'  the  boats 
to  the  davits  on  the  run,  never  losin'  a  spar  or  a  gun, 
an'  only  lightenin'  the  ship  by  pumpin'  out  water, 
'which  we  did  n't  need  much  anyways,  havin'  plenty 
o'  grog  aboard." 

"Ay,  that  was  fine  work,  never  seed  nothin'  like  it 
afore,"  responded  the  captain  of  the  forecastle 
approvingly. 

"  Fine  it  was,  shipmates,  I  could  n't  ha'  done  it 
better  myself,"  said  old  Joe,  smiling  at  the  general 
laugh  which  followed  his  remark.  "  I  Ve  knowed  him 
for  twenty  year.  I  was  coxun  of  the  cap'n's  gig, 
as  smart  a  sailor  as  ever  you  see  in  them  days,  if  I  do 
say  so  myself  as  I  should  n't,  when  he  came  aboard 
as  passed  midshipman  actin'  fourth  luff  in  the  old  John 
Adams  frigate,  an'  him  just  appinted  from  the  mer 
chant  sarvice  too.  She  were  a  sailor  an'  no  mistake, 
the  fastest  thing  on  the  ocean  in  her  day,  an'  before 
we  quit  her,  he  was  the  first  luff.  With  him  he 
brought  a  young  reefer  scarcely  big  enough  to  go 
without  them  things  little  children  wears,  what  d'  ye 
call  'em?  Some  one  who  's  married  gimme  a  lift." 

"  I  've  been  married  several  times,"  said  the  Bene 
dick  of  the  forecastle,  with  mournful  hesitation. 

"  Only  to  one  woman  at  a  time  I  'm  hopin',  mate," 
said  Rhodes,  who  was  a  great  moralist  in  his  way. 

"  I  knowed  a  man  that  had  a  wife  in  Havana,  an' 
one  in  South  Shields,  an'  another  in  Boston,  an'  God 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

knows  where  else ;  a  nice  time  he  '11  have  if  he  gits 
to  heaven  with  all  them  wimmen,"  said  another 
veteran  tar. 

"  I  'm  lowin'  to  go  to  heaven  fur  to  git  a  rest,"  re 
turned  the  Benedick,  sadly.  "  You  was  askin'  me 
about  child's  riggin',  was  you  not,  shipmate?  Well, 
I  call  'em  pantylets." 

"Ay,  pantylets,  that's  the  word,"  said  Rhodes. 
"  Well,  as  I  was  a  sayin'  he  was  a  bright  one  too,  an' 
there  he  stands  aft  there,"  said  old  Joe,  pointing  to 
ward  Fairford  on  the  quarter-deck.  "  We  left  Cap'n 
Hull  after  a  spell  an'  I  went  with  the  reefer  into  the 
old  Constellation.  She  was  another  good  one  too. 
My,  how  we  did  lick  the  Froggies  in  two  frigate 
fights  on  her.  Then  I  got  back  under  Cap'n  Hull 
agin,  an'  the  reefer  he  come  too,  an'  the  old  man 
was  first  leftenant  on  this  yere  very  ship.  An'  I  was 
one  of  a  boarding  party  that  did  a  mighty  neat  thing 
a  follerin'  him  down  at  Forty  Platty  in  Hayti." 

"  How  was  that,  Joe?  Tell  us  the  yarn,  old  ship 
mate,"  said  the  captain  of  the  afterguard,  as  the  old 
man  paused  meditatively  and  then  continued:  — 

"  There  was  a  French  privateer  there  that  had  been 
makin'  no  end  of  trouble  for  our  traders  in  them  seas. 
We  took  a  small  schooner  called  the  Sally,  an'  a 
tight  little  craft  she  were  too,  like  some  gals  of  the 
name  I  've  knowed.  We  loaded  her  up  with  men 
from  the  Constitution  an'  run  boldly  into  the  harbor, 
an'  landed  a  company  of  marines,  who  behaved  very 
well,  considerin'  wot  sort  o'  mermaids  they  are.  They 
spiked  the  guns  of  the  fort  which  was  commandin'  us, 
an'  then  we  piled  over  the  bows  of  the  privateer,  an* 
give  'em  the  cold  edge  of  our  cutlashes.  My,  how 

72 


RHODES'   OPINION   OF  THE   CAPTAIN 

the  Craypos  fought,  but 't  want  no  use,  an'  presently  the 
last  one  slung  down  his  pike  an'  went  over  the  bows, 
an'  we  had  her.  Him  and  me  was  in  the  thick  of  it  all." 

"Was  Leftenant  Fairford  there  too?"  interrupted 
one  of  the  eager  auditors. 

"  That  he  was,"  said  old  Joe ;  "  he  never  was  far 
away  when  there  was  any  fightin'  goin'  that  he  could 
git  his  hands  in." 

"Who  led  the  marines?  "  said  another. 

"  Why,  our  present  marine  officer,  Cap'n  Bush.  He 
was  only  leftenant  then.  I  hate  a  marine  like  I  hate 
a  lee-shore,  but  dash  my  wig  if  that  one  aint  about 
as  good  as  they  make  'em.  He  aint  afeard  of  nothin,' 
any  mor  'n  the  captain  aint.  Now  you  can  judge  from 
that  what  kind  of  a  man  we're  sailin'  under,  an'  I  tell 
you,  my  hearties,  if  he  gits  sight  of  the  English  in 
this  old  hooker,  there's  goin'  to  be  a  surprise,  pro- 
vidin'  you  fellers  do  your  part." 

"We  '11  do  that  all  right,  eh,  my  bullies?"  said  the 
young  foretopman  before  mentioned. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  came  a  deep-toned  chorus  in  approval. 

"  We  Ve  all  got  scores  to  settle  with  them  fellows," 
said  one. 

"  My  father  died  in  the  prison  ship  Jersey  in  the 
Revolution,  d  —  n  'em,"  said  another. 

"  My  boy  and  I  were  pressed  on  the  Lion  and 
treated  like  dogs,"  said  old  Martin,  who  with  his  son 
had  just  joined  the  group. 

"  I  Ve  got  lashes  enough  on  my  back  to  make  me 
hate  'em,"  said  Badely,  the  English  deserter.  "  Curse 
'em,  I  was  pressed — took  up  by  a  gang  of  brutes 
the  evenin'  of  the  day  I  was  married  —  think  of  that, 
mates,  an'  beat  insensible  an'  hauled  aboard  like  a 

73 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

pig,  an'  Polly  lyin'  in  a  dead  swoond  upon  the  beach 
when  I  see  her  last.  If  it  comes  to  fightin'  I  'm  as 
good  an  American  as  any  of  ye." 

"  I  aint  never  been  married,"  answered  one  sym 
pathetically,  "  but  it  must  have  been  hard,  mate." 

"  It  aint  till  after  a  man  's  been  married  some  while 
that  he  's  willin'  to  be  pressed  aboard  ship,"  said  the 
nautical  Benedick,  with  another  melancholy  shake 
of  the  head. 

"  Did  n't  he  do  no  fightin'  off  Tripoli?  "  asked  one 
of  the  group  of  Rhodes. 

"  I  Ve  heard  so.  I  was  n't  there  myself,  more  's 
the  pity,  till  it  was  most  over,  but  I've  heard  how  he 
*ised  to  take  the  old  Argus  brig  in  under  their  pagan 
batteries,  an'  raise  merry  h — 1,  him  bein'  just  as  calm 
and  peaceful  like  as  he  is  now,  all  the  time." 

"  Mr.  Rhodes,"  respectfully  said  one  of  the  ship's 
boys,  who  had  only  come  aboard  at  Boston,  and  for 
whom  the  chief  boatswain's  mate  was  a  great  person 
age  indeed,  "  will  we  get  any  prize  money,  do  you 
think,  sir?" 

"  Prize  money,  you  young  cub,"  said  Joe,  catching 
liim  playfully  by  the  ear,  "  of  course.  Everybody 
%whose  name  is  on  the  muster  roll  will  git  his  share." 

"  Mine  aint  on  yet  though,  sir,"  said  the  boy, 
squirming. 

"  Better  give  it  in  then  an'  git  it  on,"  said  Joe,  re 
leasing  him.  "  Lord,  to  think  of  them  old  times.  I 
•was  bos'un's  mate  then,  an'  I'm  bos'un's  mate  now, 
-an'  bos'un's  mate  I  '11  be  when  I  die,  an'  if  there  are 
ships  in  heaven,  I  reckon  I  '11  be  a  bos'un's  mate 
there." 

"  Yes,  if  you  git  there,"  said  the  master-at-arms, 
74 


RHODES'    OPINION    OF   THE   CAPTAIN 

sneeringly,  having  heard  the  latter  part  of  the 
conversation. 

"  D — n  your  eyes,"  said  the  old  sailor,  with  sudden 
heat,  "  why  should  n't  I  git  there?  I  Ve  always  done 
my  duty,  an'  barrin'  a  few  drunks  an'  an  occasional 
fight  or  so,  an'  when  I  was  younger  a  ...  a  ... 
sweetheart,  I  Ve  done  it  well  too.  They  need  masters- 
at-arms  in  hell  though,  I'm  told,  and  that's  where 
you  '11  go  sure,  an'  you  're  well  fitted  for  the  place, 
eh,  mates?  We  don't  get  no  chance  to  be  religious  on 
shipboard,  but  I  don't  believe  God  's  goin'  to  be  too 
hard  on  a  poor  sailor  man.  What  d'  ye  think,  mates  ?  " 

"  You  are  right,  Joe,"  said  the  old  gunner's  mate. 

"  An'  He  knows  us,  an'  I  reckon  He 's  lookin'  after 
us,"  went  on  the  old  sailor,  simply,  "  an'  unless  He  is 
mighty  easy  with  us,  we  won't  have  no  chance  at  all." 

The  mellow  tone  of  the  ship's  bell  here  interrupted 
the  conversation. 

"  Four  bells,"  said  old  Joe,  "  we  '11  be  called  to 
target  practice  in  a  minute  now.  I  '11  lay  aft  to  be 
ready  for  —  " 

"  Sail  ho !  "  came  down  from  the  foremast  head 
from  the  lookout  on  the  royal  yard. 

"  Where  away  ?  "  shouted  the  officer  of  the  deck. 

"  Two  points  on  port  bow,  sir." 

"That's  well.  Keep  a  bright  lookout  there.  Sing 
out  when  you  make  anything  of  her." 

"  I  feel  it  in  my  bones,  mates,"  said  Rhodes,  as  he 
walked  along  the  gangway,  "  that  you  're  goin'  to 
find  out  pretty  soon  what  kind  of  a  fighter  the  old 
man  is,  an'  wot's  more,  he's  goin'  to  find  out  wot 
kind  of  a  fighter  you  are,  by  the  same  token." 

75 


CHAPTER  X 
The  Young  Financier 

midshipman  on  watch,  by  direction  of  his 
JL  superior,  the  officer  on  deck,  had  instantly 
reported  the  sail  to  Captain  Hull,  who  came  hastily 
from  his  cabin  to  the  quarter-deck.  The  advent  of  a 
sail  at  sea  is  always  a  matter  of  interest,  a  relief  to 
the  so-called  monotony  of  a  voyage,  but  when  the 
waters  teem  with  ships  of  the  enemy  in  time  of  war, 
it  becomes  a  matter  of  serious  import,  at  once. 

"How  does  she  bear,  Mr.  Read?  "  said  Hull  to  that 
officer. 

"  East  sou'east,  sir,"  was  the  reply.  "  Over  there, 
about  two  points  on  the  port  bow." 

"  Head  her  on  that  course,  then,"  said  Hull,  quietly. 
Break  out  the  stun'sls,  too,  we  '11  have  a  look  at  her. 
Better  call  all  hands,"  he  added,  though  this  was 
a  perfunctory  order,  since  everybody  not  necessarily 
employed  below  was  already  on  deck.  In  an  in 
credibly  short  time  the  ship,  her  course  having  been 
altered  and  her  airy  studding  sails  extended  far 
beyond  the  broad  yard-arms  like  the  wings  of  a 
gigantic  bird,  swept  forward  toward  the  strange  sail 
with  greatly  accelerated  motion. 

At  five  bells,  the  man  on  the  main  royal  hailed : 

"  I  can  make  her  out  now,  sir." 
76 


THE  YOUNG  FINANCIER 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Large  ship,  sir  ...  man-o-'war  ...  a  frigate,  I 
think." 

At  six  bells  or  three  o'clock  the  ship  was  in  plain 
sight  from  the  deck.  As  the  lookouts  had  surmised, 
she  was  a  large  warship  evidently,  and  presumably  an 
enemy.  She  was  heading  about  southwest  on  the 
starboard  tack  under  easy  canvas.  The  Constitution 
was  kept  off  a  little,  so  as  not  to  pass  astern  of  the 
chase,  which  at  half-past  four  o'clock  hauled  up  her 
courses  and  took  in  and  furled  her  topgallant  sails, 
her  royal  yards  not  having  been  crossed.  There 
was  no  doubt  as  to  her  character  now,  and  while 
there  was  a  question  as  to  her  name  and  force,  yet 
all  who  were  capable  of  judging  on  the  Constitution, 
were  confident  that  she  was  the  Guerriere. 

There  was  no  ship  on  the  ocean  which  was  so 
thoroughly  detested  by  the  Americans  for  her  offen 
sive  acts,  as  the  Guerriere.  Under  her  previous  cap 
tains,  she  had  been  foremost  in  disrespect  to  the  flag 
and  abuse  of  maritime  privilege;  in  fact,  she  was  the 
insult  of  the  ocean  upon  our  shores.  The  frigates 
President,  United  States  and  Constitution,  sister  ship-y, 
were  each  anxious  to  meet  her,  and  two  of  them, 
which  had  got  to  sea,  were  eagerly  seeking  her.  It 
was  with  great  joy,  therefore,  that  Hull  welcomed  a 
prospective  opportunity  for  trying  her  mettle. 

"What  do  y^ou  think  of  her,  Master  Rhodes?"  he 
said  to  the  old  seaman,  who  happened  to  be  passing 
by,  and  who  was  a  great  favorite  and  something  of  a 
privileged  character  with  all  the  officers. 

"It's  the  Gurreer,  sir,"  he  replied,  touching  his 
hat. 

77 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

•'*  Now  you  '11  get  that  fight  you  wanted  so  badly  in 
the  Chesapeake,  I  think,"  said  the  captain,  smiling. 

"  Yes,  sir,  an'  we  '11  git  a  good  one  too,  I  guess. 
Them  British,  sir,  you  know,  are  hard  fellows  on  salt 
water." 

"  I  know  that,"  answered  Hull ;  "  they  are  a  hard 
set  of  fellows  surely,  but  we  Ve  got  a  harder  set, 
I  think." 

"  Lord  love  you,  your  honor,"  answered  Rhodes, 
"we  have  surely.  They're  as  full  o'  fight  as  game 
cocks.  Here  's  one  of  'em,  sir,  an'  a  little  one  he  is 
too,  as  wants  to  see  you." 

Shrinking  behind  old  Rhodes'  gigantic  figure  was 
the  small  boy  before  mentioned,  yclept  William 
Cotton.  He  was  trembling  with  nervousness  at  the 
idea  of  speaking  to  the  captain,  and  if  it  had  not  been 
for  Rhodes'  restraining  hand  on  his  shoulder,  he 
would  have  cut  and  run  at  the  last  moment. 

"  What  is  it,  my  lad  ? "  said  Hull,  quietly.  Although 
he  was  a  severe  disciplinarian,  he  was  just  and 
humane  in  his  treatment  of  his  men,  —  who  repaid 
him  with  a  devotion  little  short  of  idolatry,  —  and  he 
was  desirous  of  granting  any  reasonable  request  even 
from  a  small  boy,  especially  in  view  of  the  approach 
ing  action.  "  Speak  out.  Don't  be  afraid.  I  don't 
want  anybody  on  this  ship  to  be  afraid  of  anything. 
Is  not  that  correct,  Mr.  Fairford?" 

"  Of  course,  sir,  but  a  little  judicious  fear  of  the 
captain  is  not  a  bad  thing  after  all,  I  think,"  said  the 
young  lieutenant,  thoughtfully. 

"Oh  —  er —  of  course,  I  did  n't  refer  to  that,  which 
is  most  proper,  as  you  say." 

"  P-p-p-plcase,  sir,"  said  the  boy,  squirming,  "  I 
78 


only  come  aboard  at  Boston,  sir,  and  my  name  is. 
not  on  the  muster  roll,  sir.  I  want  you  to  have  it 
put  down  now,  sir." 

"  What  for?"  said  Hull,  smiling. 

"  So  's  I  can  draw  my  prize  money,  sir." 

The  captain  laughed.  "  It  shall  be  done,"  he  said.. 
"  Mr.  Fairford,  do  you  see  that  the  name  of  this  young 
financier  is  entered  upon  the  muster  roll  at  once.'" 
William  saluted,  and  with  a  light  heart  ran  forward, 
visions  of  wealth  dazzling  his  sight. 

The  Constitution  having  now  drawn  sufficiently 
near  the  chase,  which  indeed  had  not  showed  the 
slightest  desire  to  escape,  but  having  backed  her 
main  topsail  was  calmly  awaiting  the  approach, 
Captain  Hull  deliberately  took  in  his  studding-sails, 
sent  down  the  royal  yards,  furled  the  topgallant  sails, 
hauled  down  the  staysails,  hauled  up  the  courses  and 
left  them  hanging  in  the  brails,  then  took  a  reef  in 
the  topsails  and  having  made  everything  snug  alow 
and  aloft,  beat  to  quarters  and  squared  away  for  the 
enemy. 


79 


CHAPTER  XI 
The  Guerrttre  Begins  the  Game 

AS  the  Constitution  with  diminished  speed  on 
account  of  her  reduced  sail  slowly  neared  the 
Guerriere,  an  intense  silence  pervaded  the  ship. 
Every  one,  from  the  smallest  powder-monkey  to  the 
captain,  realized  the  momentous  nature  of  the  im 
pending  conflict.  A  new  aspirant  for  naval  honors 
was  about  to  meet  the  hitherto  undisputed  mistress 
of  the  seas.  Would  her  fate  be  that  of  the  Dutch 
man,  the  Frenchman  and  the  Spaniard,  who  had 
successively  challenged  and  yielded  the  title,  or  would 
the  new-comer  break  the  spell  of  the  British  name? 
So  far  as  the  American  Navy  had  been  hitherto  tried 
in  the  war  with  France  and  in  the  Tripolitan  conflict, 
it  had  proved  itself  of  first-class  efficiency;  and  to 
go  still  further  back,  the  few  combats  of  the  Revolu 
tion  had  augured  well  for  its  future. 

The  crew  of  the  Constitution  was  in  a  certain  sense 
a  green  crew.  They  had  been  together  but  a  short 
time,  and  many  of  them  had  probably  never  heard  a 
shot  fired  in  anger  from  the  great  gun  of  a  ship,  yet 
there  was  a  large  body  of  veteran  seamen  on  board, 
old  men-o'-war's  men  like  Rhodes,  who  had  been  judi 
ciously  distributed  throughout  the  gun  crews,  which 
they  generally  commanded,  and  allotted  to  the  more 
important  stations  of  the  ship. 


THE   GUERRIERE   BEGINS  THE   GAME 

The  crews  of  the  English  men-o'-war  of  the  day 
had  been  raised,  so  to  speak,  upon  battle,  but  the 
general  character  of  the  men  who  composed  them 
was  very  far*  below  that  of  the  Americans,  who  were 
recruited  from  a  singularly  capable  merchant  service, 
the  men  being  hardy  and  bold  to  a  notable  degree. 
Many  of  them  had  been  pressed  into  the  British  service, 
learning  something  of  righting  there,  and  carried  a 
rankling  desire  for  revenge  in  their  bosoms ;  a  desire 
punctuated  and  accentuated  by  the  deep  scars  left  by 
the  cat  upon  their  backs. 

Short  as  had  been  the  period  of  their  service,  they 
had  been  exercised  with  unusual  frequency  at  the 
great  guns,  and  their  captain  had  not  been  afraid  to 
expend  powder  and  shot  in  daily  target  practice. 
The  armament  of  the  frigate  was  of  the  very  best  and 
latest  pattern.  One  great  advantage  she  possessed 
over  the  English  lay  in  the  fact  that  all  her  guns  were 
provided  with  sights  and  the  captains  had  been 
trained  to  take  careful  aim. 

The  discipline  of  the  ship,  while  stern  and  rigorous, 
as  must  be  that  of  every  war  vessel,  was  in  no  sense 
merciless,  cruel  or  unjust.  With  such  a  crew,  there 
was  no  necessity  for  that  iron  severity  by  which  Eng 
land  retained  control  of  and  rendered  efficient  the 
motley  refuse  which  the  press  gang  collected  and 
deposited  upon  her  decks.  The  older  men,  no  mean 
judges  in  the  matter,  had  received  ample  demonstra 
tion  of  Hull's  transcendent  ability  as  a  sailor,  in  the 
brilliant  tactics  and  seamanship  by  which  he  had 
effected  his  escape  from  the  squadron  which  had  pur 
sued  them  a  month  before,  and  among  which  had 
been  the  very  ship  they  were  now  approaching. 
6  Si 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

Indeed,  it  may  be  confidently  stated,  that  no  more 
thorough  seaman  ever  commanded  a  ship  in  the 
United  States  Navy,  or  in  any  other  navy,  than  Isaac 
Hull.  His  long  apprenticeship  in  the  merchant 
service,  and  his  varied  experiences  in  the  navy,  com 
bined  with  a  remarkable  degree  of  professional  apti 
tude,  had  made  him  a  past  master  of  the  difficult  and 
delicate  art  of  the  sailor.  He  had  sailed  in  the  Con 
stitution  years  before,  and  knew  the  ship  and  her 
qualities,  what  she  could  do  and  what  she  could  not 
do,  better  than  the  average  man  knows  the  true 
character  of  his  wife,  for  the  ship  spoke  to  him  with 
out  dissimulation  and  without  reserve,  and  followed 
his  guidance  without  disobedience  or  strife.  There 
fore,  as  the  captain,  attended  by  the  sailing-master 
and  several  midshipmen  as  aids,  stood  upon  the  top 
gallant  forecastle  for  the  better  purpose  of  observing 
the  enemy,  he  looked  forward  with  perfect  confidence 
to  the  impending  conflict. 

As  the  Constitution  drew  near  to  her  antagonist, 
through  the  glass  the  English  officers  could  be 
plainly  seen,  passing  and  repassing  the  ports  where 
the  gun  crews  stood  at  their  quarters.  At  this  mo 
ment  the  stops  upon  several  small  dark  balls  of  bunt 
ing  which  had  been  hanging  at  the  several  mastheads 
and  the  gaff  were  broken,  and  four  of  the  splendid 
and  glorious  red  ensigns  of  old  England  streamed 
out  in  the  fresh  breeze.  They  were  at  once  an 
swered  by  a  display  of  the  beautiful  stars  and 
stripes  from  similar  points  of  vantage  on  the  Ameri 
can  ship. 

Presently  the  mainyard  of  the  English  ship  was 
swung,  she  gathered  way  and  slowly  forged  ahead. 

82 


THE    GUERRIERE   BEGINS  THE    GAME 

Suddenly  the  eager  watchers  saw  flashes  of  light 
shoot  out  frofn  her  side,  followed  by  shrouding  clouds 
of  smoke  which  completely  obscured  the  ship  for  a 
moment  and  out  of  which  came  the  deep  roar  of  the 
heavy  guns  of  the  frigate's  batteries.  The  first  broad 
side  of  the  English  did  no  damage  as  the  Constitution 
was  not  yet  within  range,  but  the  sound  of  it  sent  a 
thrill  of  emotion  through  every  heart.  Their  antag 
onist  meant  business,  the  battle  was  on.  The  veteran 
gunners  blew  their  smoking  matches  and  looked 
eagerly  toward  the  captain. 

The  Guerriere  shot  out  from  the  cloud  of  smoke  and 
wore  around  (that  is,  turned  upon  her  heel  away  from 
the  wind  in  order  to  bring  the  other  side  to  bear). 
The  distance  between  the  ships  was  now  less  than 
before,  but  Hull's  practised  eye  scarcely  yet  con 
sidered  the  ships  in  range.  Again  the  English  ship 
was  wreathed  in  flame  and  smoke,  and  this  time  a  few 
of  her  shot  passed  over  the  Constitution,  doing  no 
damage  beyond  cutting  a  rope  here  and  there. 

The  silence  upon  the  decks  of  the  American  was 
absolute.  Not  a  sound  could  be  heard  above  the 
splash  of  the  waves  against  her  bows,  or  the  singing 
of  the  wind,  which  was  steadily  freshening,  through 
the  top  hamper.  As  the  breeze  carried  away  the 
smoke,  it  was  seen  that  the  English  ship,  handled 
with  that  beautiful  smartness  for  which  their  navy 
was  famous,  was  again  wearing  to  bring  her  starboard 
broadside  into  play  once  more. 

"Mr.  Neill,"  said  Hull  quietly  to  one  of  his  mid 
shipmen,  "  run  aft  and  tell  the  quarter-master  to 
stand  by  to  put  the  helm  to  starboard.  We  must 
not  let  her  rake  us,  Mr.  Aylwyn,"  he  said  to  the  sail- 

83 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

Ing-master,  as  the  midshipman  touched  his  cap  and 
ran  along  the  gangway  toward  the  wheel. 

"  Stand  by,"  he  shouted  a  moment  afterward,  and 
then,  "  Hard  a-starboard.  Flow  the  head-sheets 
there.  Haul  aft  the  spanker-sheet." 

As  these  orders  were  obeyed  swiftly  the  Constitu 
tion  swung  her  great  side  parallel  to  the  enemy  to 
avoid  being  raked,  and  received  a  third  broadside, 
which  did  no  more  damage  than  the  others. 

"  First  division  there,"  shouted  Hull  at  the  same 
moment,  "  give  him  a  shot  with  the  forward  guns." 
Several  sharp  reports  followed  in  succession. 

"  Let  her  go  off  again.  Flatten  in  the  head-sheets. 
Steady  with  the  helm,  we  must  close  with  her.  I  do 
not  like  this  business  of  playing  at  long  bowls,"  he 
said. 

The  Guerriere  was  wearing  again  in  the  smoke  to 
bring  the  other  broadside  to  bear.  As  before,  the 
Constitution  presented  her  broadside  to  the  enemy 
and  answered  with  her  forward  guns,  in  one  instance 
delivering  a  broadside.  The  manoeuvre  was  several 
times  repeated  without  any  apparent  material  damage 
to  either  ship,  until  the  Englishman,  who  had  as 
sumed  to  play  it,  tired  of  the  game,  and  slowly  ran 
•off  with  the  wind  on  the  port  quarter;  an  open 
invitation  to  close,  which  Hull  would  not  have 
disregarded  in  any  event,  even  had  he  not  been  per 
sistently  endeavoring  to  get  into  close  action  ever 
since  the  chase  was  sighted. 

"  We  '11  never  get  alongside  at  this  rate,"  he  said 
finally.  "  Main  topsail  yard  there,  lay  aloft  and  loose 
the  to'gallant  sail.  Lively  !  Man  the  to'gallant  hal 
yards  ;  hands  on  the  foresheets ;  overhaul  the  brails, 


THE  GUERRIERE  BEGINS  THE  GAME 

there,  one  of  you.  Let  fall,  sheet  home,  hoist 
away." 

The  men  ran  the  foresail  down  and  the  topgallant 
sail  up  as  if  they  had  been  silk  instead  of  stiff  and 
heavy  canvas.  The  courses  of  the  two  ships  now- 
made  a  sharp  angle  with  each  other,  and  the  Consti 
tution  under  the  added  sail  began  rapidly  to  over 
haul  the  enemy,  which  was  leisurely  jogging  along 
waiting  for  her,  her  batteries  grimly  silent. 

"  Have  the  guns  double  shotted,  Mr.  Fairford,"  said 
Hull  calmly  to  his  first  lieutenant,  who  had  been 
superintending  the  batteries  as  was  customary* 
"  One  round  shot  and  a  stand  of  grape  as  well." 


CHAPTER   XII 

The  Constitution  Makes  Reply 

AT  this  moment,  the  fire  from  the  Guerriere  re 
opened  fiercely  again.  This  time  the  shot  of 
the  English  took  effect.  Shrouds,  ropes  and  braces 
were  cut  here  and  there ;  a  great  rent  appeared  in 
the  foresail;  one  heavy  shot  struck  the  rail  forward 
and  sent  a  cloud  of  splinters  flying  almost  as  high  as 
the  foreyard ;  one  jagged  piece  of  wood  tore  the 
throat  out  of  the  captain  of  number  three  gun  forward ; 
another  splinter,  and  a  larger  piece  struck  one  of  the 
sail-trimmers  clustered  about  the  foremast  a  frightful 
blo\v  in  the  chest,  completely  crushing  it  in,  and  lay 
ing  him  senseless  on  the  deck,  upon  which  he  died 
before  he  could  be  taken  below.  Blood  which 
dripped  down  from  the  foretop,  where  were  stationed 
topmen  and  marines,  indicated  that  at  least  one  bullet 
had  found  its  billet  there  as  well. 

"  Steady,  men,  steady,"  said  Read,  the  officer  com 
manding  the  forward  division,  in  which  these  casual 
ties  had  occurred,  noticing  the  pale  faces  and  horrified 
looks  of  some  of  the  younger  men,  although  the  old 
veterans,  used  to  such  scenes,  calmly  squinted  along 
the  sights  of  their  guns,  and  with  waves  of  their  hands 
and  whispered  words  to  the  men  at  the  elevating 
chocks  or  to  the  hand-spikesmen  and  tacklemen,  kept 

86 


THE   CONSTITUTION   MAKES   REPLY 

them  training  upon  the  enemy,  which  was  now  pour 
ing  forth  a  rapid  fire. 

Hull  had  resumed  his  station  on  the  quarter-deck. 
He  was  standing  with  his  hands  clasped  behind  his 
back,  his  head  bent  forward,  looking  eagerly  at  the 
other  ship.  His  lips  were  tightly  closed  and  his  eyes 
shone  with  battle  fire.  In  common  with  many  chol 
eric  and  excitable  men,  he  became  more  and  more 
cool  and  composed  as  the  supreme  moment  of  emer 
gency  approached.  Fairford  sprang  aft  hurriedly. 

"  The  enemy  has  opened  fire  and  killed  two  of  our 
men  ;  shall  I  return  jt,  sir?  " 

"Not  yet,  sir,"  answered  Hull,  calmly. 

The  helm,  by  the  captain's  direction,  had  been 
gradually  shifted  to  starboard  until  the  two  vessels 
were  running  in  parallel  courses.  An  attempt  on  the 
enemy's  part  to  cross  the  Constitution's  bow,  and  an 
attempt  on  her  part  to  pass  the  Englishman's  stern, 
both  for  the  purpose  of  raking,  had  been  promptly 
made,  and  being  skilfully  met,  had  been  given  over  in 
both  instances,  and  the  two  captains  at  once  resigned 
themselves  to  a  yard-arm  to  yard-arm  fight  and 
squared  away.  The  starboard  bow  of  the  Constitu 
tion  began  gradually  to  lap  the  Englishman's  port 
quarter. 

"Shall  I  open  fire  now,  sir?"  asked  Fairford 
again,  the  men  eagerly  awaiting  the  reply. 

"  Not  yet,  sir." 

The  bow  drew  up  opposite  the  gangway. 

"  Now,  sir?"  cried  Fairford  the  third  time. 

"  Not  yet,  sir,"  responded  Hull,  imperturbably. 

The  Englishmen  were  firing  rapidly  though  with  but 
little  apparent  effort,  and  the  Americans  noticed  that 

37 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

many  of  their  shot  were  striking  the  stout  sides  of 
the  Constitution  and  falling  back  into  the  water,  with 
out  penetrating  or  doing  any  damage,  hence  the 
sailors  —  and  indeed  everybody  else  after  that  — 
called  that  ship  by  her  now  famous  name,  "  Old  Iron 
sides." 

The  bow  of  the  Constitution  was  now  abreast  of  the 
foremast  of  the  Englishman. 

"  Stand  by,"  shouted  the  captain  at  this  moment, 
stepping  over  to  the  starboard  or  engaged  side  of  the 
deck.  Every  gun  captain  took  a  last  glimpse  at  the 
English  ship.  Their  hands  instinctively  tightened  on 
their  smoking  matches  which  they  blew  furiously. 
Men  stood  in  attitudes  of  tense  expectation. 

"  Fire  !  Let  tlicm  have  it,  men  !  Pour  it  into  tlicm" 
shouted  Hull,  with  all  the  force  of  his  deep  powerful 
voice,  bending  himself  almost  double  in  eager  empha 
sis,  as  he  delivered  the  commands.  He  was  wearing 
a  very  tight  pair  of  white  knee  trousers,  and  history 
likes  to  tell  that  as  he  gave  this  order,  he  split  them 
from  knee  to  waistband,  and  went  through  all  the 
rest  of  the  combat  thus  peculiarly  habited.  With  a 
crash  like  thunder,  the  twenty-seven  heavy  guns  of 
the  Constitution's  starboard  battery  roared  out  in 
unison. 

The  two  ships  were  now  within  half  pistol  shot  dis 
tance  from  each  other,  and  the  aim  of  the  practised 
Americans  was  absolutely  perfect.  Neglecting  the 
upper  works,  every  shot  was  driven  home  in  the 
enemy.  Hull  had  fired  with  perfect  calculation,, 
choosing  the  downward  roll  of  his  ship  as  the  oppor 
tune  moment,  and  the  heavy  round  shot  from  the 
grim  twenty-four  pounders  and  the  carronades  could 

88 


THE   CONSTITUTION   MAKES   REPLY 

be  heard  crushing  through  the  sides,  while  the  hail  of 
grapeshot  swept  through  the  ports  and  laid  out  man 
after  man ;  so  sudden  and  awful  was  the  effect  of  the 
broadside  that  for  a  moment  the  fire  of  the  English 
man  was  completely  suspended. 

Three  stout  British  cheers  rang  out  bravely,  how 
ever,  and  the  enemy,  recovering  themselves,  answered 
the  broadside  with  spirit;  but  nothing  could  equal 
the  swiftness  and  rapidity  of  the  American  fire.  The 
stout  seamen  served  and  ran  the  guns  in  and  out  like 
toys.  Their  hot  muzzles  were  wreathed  in  sheets  of 
flame.  They  were  firing  at  an  average  of  about  once 
every  forty  seconds,  and  the  roar  of  the  discharge 
was  practically  continuous.  The  crackle  of  the  small- 
arms  of  the  topmen  and  marines  produced  a  staccato 
note  easily  heard  above  the  diapason  of  the  cannonade 
and  the  wild  screeching  of  the  carronade  slides 
which  added  much  to  the  confusion.  Here  and  there 
a  man  fell  and  lay  groaning  and  unheeded  in  the  mad 
excitement  of  the  combat. 

For  a  long  fifteen  minutes  the  two  ships  side  by 
side  kept  up  the  fierce  battle,  until  the  mizzenmast 
of  the  enemy,  having  been  squarely  pierced  by  a 
twenty-four  pound  shot,  broke  short  off  and  went 
over  the  starboard  quarter  with  a  crash  plainly  audible 
above  the  roar  of  the  guns. 

"  Hurrah,  lads,"  shouted  Hull  gaily,  his  eye  kin 
dling  and  glancing,  "  we  've  made  a  brig  of  her." 

"If  she  floats  long  enough,"  said  one  of  the  men 
audaciously,  "  we  '11  make  her  a  sloop." 

"  Hull  her.  Hull  her,"  cried  another,  pointing  ta 
the  captain. 

These  examples  of  forecastle  wit  were  greeted   by 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

a  gigantic  laugh  and  wild  cheers  from  the  men.  The 
heavy  spars  of  the  mizzenmast  acting  as  a  drag  on 
the  leeside  of  the  Englishman,  counteracted  the  helm 
and  now  pulled  her  head  slightly  around  away  from 
the  wind.  The  Constitution  having  drawn  somewhat 
ahead  previously,  shot  clear  of  the  smoke  around  the 
Guerriere,  and  the  firing  for  the  moment  ceased.  Men 
were  working  furiously  with  axes  to  cut  away  the 
wreck  which  rendered  the  Englishman  partially  un 
manageable.  Manoeuvring  as  he  came  clear  of  the 
smoke  which  the  strong  breeze  carried  swiftly  to 
leeward,  Hull  saw  his  opportunity. 

"  Port  the  helm.  .  .  .  Lively,"  he  shouted.  "Hands 
by  the  braces  there."  The  hardy  Constitution  swept 
around  as  gracefully  as  an  airy  bird.  The  wind  struck 
her  upon  the  starboard  quarter;  slowly  she  bore  up; 
the  starboard  tacks  were  boarded,  the  bowlines 
tautened  and  the  sheets  hauled  aft.  In  a  trice  she 
was  standing  across  the  bows  of  the  hapless  English 
man,  who  received  a  broadside  at  close  range  square 
in  the  face.  His  ship  was  raked  from  stem  to  stern, 
and  he  could  oppose  no  guns  to  those  of  his  enemy. 

Luffing  up  into  the  wind  to  check  her  headway 
before  she  passed  out  of  range,  the  Constitution 
repeated  her  raking  broadside.  Through  and  through 
the  length  of  the  English  ship  swept  the  searching 
hail.  The  carnage  and  destruction  were  frightful. 
But  the  Constitution  was  now  almost  in  irons,  and  it 
became  necessary  to  boxhaul,  to  get  back  on  the 
other  tack.  As  she  drew  slowly  ahead,  the  headyards 
were  braced  aback  to  box  her  off  in  order  that  she 
might  cross  the  bows  of  the  enemy  once  more,  bring 
ing  the  port  broadside  to  bear  for  a  further  raking. 

90 


THE   CONSTITUTION   MAKES   REPLY 

At  the  critical  moment  of  the  manoeuvre,  some  of 
the  braces  being  carried  away,  the  yards  jammed,  the 
ship  gathered  sternway,  and  her  head  slowly  swung 
to  port.  At  the  same  time,  the  English  ship,  her 
wrecked  mizzenmast  having  been  cut  away,  forged 
ahead ;  her  helm  was  ported  and  swung  to  starboard, 
in  a  last  desperate  effort  to  close  and  board.  Slowly 
her  long  bowsprit  swept  over  the  Constitution's 
quarter  and  the  two  ships  came  together  abaft  the 
latter's  mizzenmast  with  a  mighty  crash. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
Boarders  Away! 

THE  bowsprit  of  the  Guerriere  fell  against  the 
port  mizzen-rigging  of  the  Constitution  and 
the  two  ships  drew  so  close  together  that  the  roll  of 
the  sea,  growing  steadily  heavier  under  the  freshening 
breeze,  caused  the  cutwater  of  the  Englishman  to 
chafe  and  grind  against  the  side  of  the  American 
ship.  The  vessels  were  so  near  to  each  other  that 
the  men  could  see  the  whites  of  the  eyes  of  their 
enemies,  and  the  white  and  gold  figurehead  of  the 
French-built  English  ship  was  within  easy  reach 
of  the  hand,  her  bowsprit  stretching  far  across  the 
quarter-deck. 

The  Constitution  in  this  position  had  not  a  single 
gun  that  she  could  bring  to  bear.  The  starboard 
bow  guns  of  the  enemy,  however,  pounded  the  after 
cabins  of  Captain  Hull's  ship  to  pieces,  and  the 
burning  gun-wads  soon  caused  a  fire  to  start  in 
that  vulnerable  part  of  the  ship ;  but  the  flames  were 
at  once  extinguished  by  the  after  division  under  Lieu 
tenant  Hamilton,  who  brought  a  severe  musketry  fire 
to  bear  upon  the  enemy  through  the  after  ports, 
which  temporarily  silenced  her  bow  guns  by  depriv 
ing  them  of  their  crews. 

Just  then  the  flag  at  the  Constitution's  mizzen-truck, 
the  halyards  having  been  cut  by  a  shot,  came  down 


BOARDERS  AWAY! 

in  the  top  with  a  run,  but  Hogan,  a  young  marine, 
spiritedly  climbed  up  to  the  truck  with  it  in  his  hand, 
and  although  a  number  of  British  marines  fired  at 
him,  he  replaced  it  at  the  masthead  and  descended  in 
safety  to  his  station. 

The  instant  the  two  ships  came  together,  both  sides 
called  away  boarders,  the  Englishmen  mustering  on 
the  forecastle,  the  Americans  on  the  quarter-deck. 
The  bowsprit  of  the  former  extending  over  the  deck 
formed  a  convenient  line  of  attack.  As  the  upper 
decks  became  crowded  with  men,  the  masses  made  a 
splendid  target  for  the  riflemen  in  the  tops.  There 
were  seven  marines  in  the  mizzentop  of  the  Constitu 
tion,  under  an  old  sergeant  who  was  noted  for  his  skill 
as  a  marksman ;  six  of  them  loaded,  while  he  fired 
with  the  calmest  deliberation  shot  after  shot  into  the 
swarming  English. 

Captain  Bush  of  the  Marine  Corps  with  the  utmost 
gallantry  sprang  upon  the  taffrail  to  lead  his  marines, 
crying,  "Board,  Board!"  A  bullet  went  crashing 
through  his  skull,  killing  him  instantly.  Undaunted 
by  the  catastrophe,  Aylwyn,  the  sailing-master, 
jumped  upon  the  same  spot,  but  a  bullet  from  the 
Englishmen's  maintop  severely  wounded  him  in  the 
shoulder.  Fairford  had  climbed  up  on  the  bowsprit 
with  a  view  to  lashing  the  two  ships  together,  and 
had  already  taken  a  few  turns  of  the  mainbrace  around 
the  spar,  when  another  bullet  drove  through  his  body, 
desperately  wounding  him,  and  he  fell  to  the  deck. 
Hull,  with  his  sword  in  his  hand,  leaped  upon  an  arm- 
chest  and  endeavored  to  spring  upon  the  taffrail, 
when  old  Rhodes,  the  boatswain's  mate,  seized 
him  roughly  about  the  waist  and  held  him  back  in 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

spite  of  his  efforts  with  all  the  force  of  his  mighty 
arms. 

"  Not  with  them  swabs  on,  sir,"  cried  the  old 
sailor,  alluding  to  the  great  bullion  epaulets  the 
captain  wore;  "it  would  be  sure  death  for  your 
honor." 

As  the  captain,  furious  with  rage,  struggled  in 
the  arms  of  the  stalwart  seaman,  the  Constitution 
gathered  way  and  drew  ahead  again.  On  the  English 
vessel,  the  loss  had  been  even  more  severe  than  on 
her  enemy.  The  sailing-master  and  his  mate  had 
been  desperately  wounded  ;  two  of  the  junior  lieuten 
ants  had  been  shot  down,  and  Heathcote  had  been 
wounded.  Most  of  the  men  in  the  forecastle  had 
been  killed  or  wounded,  and  the  captain  himself,  while 
standing  on  the  starboard  forecastle  hammocks  en 
couraging  his  men,  had  been  shot  in  the  back  by  the 
marine  sergeant  in  the  mizzentop.  Had  the  bullet 
passed  a  little  more  to  the  left,  the  wound  would 
have  proved  fatal. 

The  roll  of  the  ships  prevented  either  party  from 
successfully  boarding,  however,  and  at  this  juncture 
the  two  ships  gathered  way  and  parted.  As  the 
Constitution  forged  ahead  turning  to  port  slowly,  the 
English  ship,  minus  her  after-sail,  swung  to  starboard 
again,  and  aided  by  an  unusually  heavy  sea,  her  bow 
sprit  struck  the  quarter  of  the  Constitution  a  mighty 
blow.  The  tremendous  stroke  carried  away  the 
loosened  forestays  of  the  English  ship,  and  the  shrouds 
on  the  port  side  having  been  all  cut  away  by  the 
withering  fire  to  which  she  had  been  subjected,  the 
weakened  foremast,  which  had  been  previously 
wounded  by  a  shot,  immediately  fell  to  starboard 

94 


BOARDERS  AWAY  ! 

across  the  mainstays.  The  sudden  strain  thus 
brought  upon  the  mainmast,  which  was  in  little  better 
condition  than  had  been  the  fore,  brought  it  down  to 
starboard  as  well  with  a  mighty  crash;  the  massive 
spars  beating  and  thundering  against  her  weakened 
side  in  the  rolling  sea,  completing  by  their  battering 
ram  onset  her  ruin. 

The  Guerriere  was  a  perfect  wreck,  and  the  ship 
careened  to  starboard  and  fell  off,  exposing  sheets  of 
glistening  copper  far  below  the  water  line.  The  Con 
stitution  mercifully  held  her  fire  from  the  side  of  her 
hapless  enemy,  and  although  the  enormous  amount 
of  wreckage  was  soon  cut  away,  the  English  working 
with  the  energy  of  despair,  yet  their  ship,  completely 
deprived  of  motive  power,  was  not  under  control,  and 
at  once  fell  into  the  trough  of  the  sea,  rolling  and 
pitching  there  at  the  play  of  the  waves,  until  she 
buried  her  maindeck  guns  in  the  water  with  every 
heave. 

"  What  time  is  it,  lad?  "  asked  Hull  of  Midshipman 
Neill,  who  had  rendered  efficient  service  during  the 
action. 

"  Twenty-two  minutes  after  six  o'clock,  sir,"  was 
the  reply. 

"Less  than  thirty  minutes  of  actual  fighting  time," 
remarked  the  victorious  captain,  sotto  voce,  counting 
from  the  time  the  Constitution's  first  broadside  had 
been  delivered.  "  I  think  I  Ve  won  the  hat. 

"  Mr.  Neill,  jump  below  and  ask  the  surgeon  to 
send  me  a  report  of  the  casualties  at  once.  Forward, 
there.  .  .  .  Pass  the  word  for  the  carpenter  and  sail- 
master  to  advise  me  as  to  the  damage  we  have  sus 
tained.  Mr.  Read,  you  will  act  as  first  lieutenant 

95 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

until  poor  Fairford  recovers.  We  '11  run  orf  a  little 
and  heave  to,  overhaul  the  gear  and  repair  damages ; 
in  case  we  should  be  compelled  to  meet  another  of 
these  gentry,  we  must  be  prepared  for  them." 

"  And  how  about  the  prize,  sir?"  asked  Read,  re 
spectfully. 

"  She  '11  stay  where  she  is  until  we  get  ourselves  to 
rights,  I  think,"  said  Hull,  smiling. 

About  seven  bells  in  the  second  dog  watch,  or  half 
after  seven  o'clock,  the  Constitution,  her  colors  flying 
proudly,  filled  away,  wore  around,  and  came  down 
across  the  bows  of  the  hapless  English  ship  again. 
The  British  sailors  had  rigged  an  ensign  to  the  stump 
of  the  mizzenmast.  As  the  Constitution  came  into 
position  with  her  mighty  battery  prepared  to  rake 
again,  —  the  ship  being  practically  uninjured  in  any 
material  way  and  ready  to  engage  another  English 
vessel  on  the  moment,  having  replaced  the  few  un 
important  spars  which  had  been  lost  and  with  the  cut 
ropes  and  torn  sails  hastily  spliced  and  patched,  or 
shifted,  —  the  English  fired  a  lee  gun  and  slowly  and 
reluctantly  the  ensign  fell  to  the  deck.  The  battle 
was  over.  One  of  the  cutters  was  called  away  by 
Hull's  directions  and  Lieutenant  Read  was  sent  to 
take  possession  of  the  prize. 

It  was  a  rather  hard  row  from  the  Constitution  to 
the  Guerriere  on  account  of  the  heavy  sea,  but  finally 
the  cutter  rounded  to  off  the  lee  side  of  the  enemy. 


96 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A  Lost  Wager 

ONE  can  scarcely  imagine  the  shame  and  humili 
ation  in  Captain  Dacres'  heart.  The  English 
Navy  could  point  to  thirty  years  of  continuous  war 
fare  with  all  the  world,  and  in  over  two  hundred  des 
perate  encounters  between  single  ships  with  anything 
like  equality  of  force,  the  losses  could  be  counted 
upon  the  fingers  of  a  single  hand ;  and  now  to  have 
to  surrender  to  an  American  —  to  a  despised  Amer 
ican —  to  whom  he  had  personally  expressed  his 
entire  confidence  in  his  own  ship,  and  his  contempt 
for  the  other !  It  was  almost  more  than  Captain 
Dacres  could  bear.  Not  the  slightest  doubt  of  the 
issue  of  the  combat  had  ever  crossed  his  mind.  As 
soon  as  he  had  determined  that  the  approaching  ship 
was  an  enemy,  he  had  looked  upon  her  as  already  a 
prize.  Strange  to  say,  he  had  expressed  himself  that 
afternoon,  while  watching  the  manoeuvres  of  the  Con 
stitution  before  the  action  to  the  effect  "  that  she 
comes  down  a  thought  too  boldly  for  an  American," 
following  up  this  sapient  remark  by  this  undoubtedly 
true  reflection:  "  However,  the  better  he  behaves  the 
more  honor  we  shall  gain  by  taking  him."  He  closed 
his  address  to  his  crew  before  the  battle  with  these 
significant  words,  — 

7  97 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

"  There  is  a  Yankee  frigate ;  in  forty-five  minutes 
she  is  certainly  ours.  Take  her  in  fifteen  and  I 
promise  you  four  months'  pay  !  " 

Alas  for  his  anticipations!  thirty  minutes  after  the 
battle  began  he  was  the  most  surprised  and  chagrined 
man  upon  the  ocean. 

"What  ship  is  that?"  demanded  Read  from  the 
boat,  when  he  finally  reached  the  Guerriere. 

"  His  Britannic  Majesty's  Ship  Guerriere,"  answered 
a  weak  voice,  as  a  tall  figure  showed  itself  above  the 
rail. 

"  Have  you  struck,  sir?"  called  Read. 

"  I  don't  know  that  it  would  be  prudent  to  continue 
the  engagement  any  longer,"  was  the  reply. 

"Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  have 
struck?"  asked  Lieutenant  Read  a  second  time. 

"  Not  precisely,"  said  Dacres,  "  but  I  don't  know 
that  it  will  be  worth  while  to  fight  any  longer." 

"  If  you  will  not  decide,  I  will  return  aboard  my 
ship  and  resume  the  engagement,"  returned  the 
American  officer.  To  this  Captain  Dacres  called  out 
somewhat  excitedly,  — 

"  Why,  I  am  pretty  much  hors  de  combat  already. 
I  have  hardly  enough  men  left  to  work  a  single  gun 
and  my  ship  is  in  a  sinking  condition." 
*  "  I  wish  to  know,  sir,"  peremptorily  demanded 
Lieutenant  Read,  "  whether  I  am  to  consider  you  as 
a  prisoner  of  war  or  an  enemy.  I  have  no  time  for 
further  parley." 

"If  I  could  fight  longer  I  —  I  —  I  —  would  with 
pleasure;  but — but  —  I  must  —  surrender,"  Captain 
Dacres  replied  with  evident  reluctance,  "  I  believe 
there  is  no  alternative." 


A  LOST  WAGER 

"  Give  way,  lads,"  said  Read,  at  this  most  satisfac 
tory  termination  of  the  little  colloquy,  and  the  boat 
was  sent  alongside  of  the  gangway,  where  he  climbed 
aboard  to  take  possession.  What  a  picture  the 
doomed  ship  presented ;  what  a  contrast  to  her  ap 
pearance  an  hour  ago,  when  with  spars  that  searched 
the  skies  and  with  sails  that  extended  out  like  the 
wings  of  a  gigantic  bird,  she  proudly  rode  the  sea. 

Now  she  rolled,  a  helpless,  sinking  hulk,  a  picture 
of  ruin  and  destruction,  blood-stained  water  gushing 
from  her  scuppers  at  every  roll ;  her  sides  broken 
and  battered  by  the  Constitution's  heavy  shot;  her 
bulwarks  and  rails  smashed  from  the  same  cause,  and 
from  the  impact  of  the  falling  spars;  three  jagged, 
upright  pieces  of  timber  showing  where  the  masts 
had  been.  Many  of  her  guns  were  dismounted  and 
destroyed ;  some  of  them  had  broken  loose  and  were 
swinging  wildly  to  and  fro ;  nearly  one  third  of  her 
crew  had  been  killed  and  wounded,  many  were  miss 
ing,  probably  carried  'overboard  by  the  falling  masts 
and  drowned ;  all  of  her  boats  were  lost  or  destroyed ; 
and,  in  short,  she  was  a  complete  wreck. 

Stepping  aft  to  the  quarter-deck,  where  Dacres, 
weak  and  faint  from  his  wound,  was  sitting  on  an 
arm-chest  despondently  surveying  his  crew,  who  had 
abandoned  all  effort  to  clear  the  ship  and  were  hang 
ing  about  in  melancholy  silent  groups  examining 
their  antagonist,  Read  saluted  him  with  a  profound 
respect,  which  seemed  to  touch  the  unfortunate  Eng 
lishman,  who  opened  the  conversation  by  asking : 

"  Is  that  the  Constitution?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Is  she  still  commanded  by  Captain  Hull?" 
99 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF   THE   SEA 

"  Yes,  sir." 

Thereupon  Dacres  showed  his  manliness.  Instead 
of  handing  his  sword  to  Lieutenant  Read,  and  plead 
ing  his  severe  wound  as  an  excuse  for  not  delivering 
it  to  Captain  Hull  in  person,  he  remarked, — 

"  If  you  will  allow  me  the  use  of  your  boat,  I  will 
go  aboard  your  ship  and  surrender  my  sword  to 
Captain  Hull." 

So  pitiful  was  the  condition  of  Captain  Dacres, 
that  Read  ventured  to  remonstrate. 

"  Would  it  not  be  better  for  you  to  remain  here 
for  the  present,  Captain  Dacres,  in  view  of  the  wound 
from  which  you  are  suffering?" 

"  My  lad,"  said  the  elder  man,  looking  at  the 
younger  one  kindly,  and  pointing  toward  his  wounded 
back,  "  it  is  not  this  wound  that  causes  me  the  suffer 
ing.  No,  I  will  go.  It  is  only  justice  to  your 
captain." 

Having  descended  to  the  boat,  he  was  soon  aboard 
of  the  Constitution.  As  he  climbed  the  side  with 
slow  and  painful  steps  he  was  tenderly  assisted  as 
much  as  possible  by  the  officers  and  men.  Captain 
Hull  met  him  in  the  gangway. 

"  I  see  you  are  wounded,  Dacres,"  he  said  kindly. 
"  Give  me  your  hand." 

"  Sir,"  said  Dacres,  formally,  "  my  ship  has  sur 
rendered,  and  I  have  come  to  deliver  to  you  my 
sword,"  and  he  extended  it  toward  the  American. 

"No,  no,"  said  Hull,  generously  waiving  it  away, 
"  I  will  not  take  a  sword  from  one  who  knows  so  well 
how  to  use  it."  Then  he  added,  with  a  merry  twinkle 
in  his  eye,  and  laying  his  hand  on  Dacres'  shoulder: 
•"  But,  Dacres,  I  will  take  that  hat." 

100 


A   LOST   WAGER 

"  Very  well,  captain,"  replied  the  other,  making  a 
gallant  attempt  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  claim ; 
"  you  shall  have  the  hat,  and,  if  mine  will  fit  you, 
I  believe  I  will  offer  to  lend  you  a  pair  of  trousers  as 
well." 

"Gad!"  said  Hull,  looking  down  at  his  small 
clothes,  which  were  waving  in  the  breeze,  "  I  forgot 
all  about  them  until  this  minute." 

"  It  is  the  only  wound  you  have  sustained,  I  trust," 
said  Dacres.  "And  the  ship  seems  to  be  in  equally 
good  condition,"  he  added,  after  thoughtfully  survey 
ing  the  Constitution. 

"  Shall  I  send  our  surgeon  or  his  mate  over  to  look 
after  your  people?"  asked  Hull,  as  they  walked  arm 
in  arm  to  the  quarter-deck. 

"  Why,  have  n't  you  need  of  them  yourself  ? " 
answered  Dacres,  greatly  surprised. 

"  No,  all  of  ours  have  been  attended  to  an  hour 
ago." 

"  How  many  were  your  casualties?  " 

"  Seven  killed  and  seven  wounded,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Send  them  over  if  you  will,"  said  Dacres,  mourn 
fully,  throwing  up  his  hands,  "  we  have  seven  times 
as  many.  By  the  way,  there  are  ten  Americans  on 
board." 

"Are  any  of  them  wounded  or  killed?"  said  Hull, 
anxiously. 

"  No,  I  allowed  them  to  go  below  before  we  began 
the  action;  I  would  not  compel  them  to  fight  against 
their  flag,"  answered  the  chivalrous  Englishman. 

"  That  was  handsomely  done,  and  I  thank  you  in 
behalf  of  my  countrymen,"  replied  Hull,  with  deep 
feeling. 

id  i 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"  To  think  that  you  are  practically  unharmed  both 
in  ship  and  crew,"  Dacres  added,  after  they  had 
entered  the  cabin,  "  and  that  we  are  a  wreck.  You 
will  never  take  her  into  port  though.  The  carpenter 
tells  me  we  received  as  many  as  thirty  shots  as  low  as 
five  sheets  of  copper  below  the  bends  on  the  engaged 
side.  To  think  of  it,  to  think  of  it!"  he  continued 
mournfully,  sitting  down  before  the  table  and  leaning 
his  head  upon  his  hands.  "  To  have  struck  my  flag, 
and  to  an  American  !  " 

"  Never  mind,  Dacres,"  said  Hull,  encouragingly, 
"you  won't  be  the  last  one  to  strike  his  flag  to  an 
American  in  this  war,  I  '11  wager." 

"  I've  had  enough  of  your  wagers,  Hull,"  answered 
the  Englishman,  with  a  rueful  smile. 


102 


CHAPTER   XV 

Brothers  United 

WHILE  this  conversation  had  been  going  on, 
the  boats  of  the  Constitution  had  been  called 
away,  and  the  transfer  of  prisoners  was  begun,  and 
a  large  prize  crew  from  the  heavily  manned  American 
ship  was  making  strenuous  efforts  to  fit  the  Guerriere 
for  service,  so  that  she  might  be  brought  to  the 
United  States.  The  first  boat-load  of  prisoners  con 
tained  Lieutenant  Richard  Heathcote,  carrying  his 
arm  in  a  sling  from  a  slight  wound  he  had  received 
while  gallantly  assisting  the  captain  in  rallying  the 
men  on  the  forecastle.  The  first  question  he  asked 
when  he  reached  the  quarter-deck  was  for  the  wel 
fare  of  his  brother. 

"  I  saw  him  jump  on  our  bowsprit  when  the  two 
ships  came  together,  then  he  fell  back  and  I  missed 
him.  Where  is  he?  I  do  not  see  him." 

"Unfortunately,  he  was  desperately  wounded  at 
that  period  of  the  action,  a  bullet  having  passed 
through  his  body,"  replied  the  officer  of  the  deck. 

"  May  I  not  see  him?"  asked  Heathcote,  eagerly. 

Having  received  permission  from  the  surgeon,  in  a 
short  time  he  was  standing  in  the  little  cabin  occupied 
by  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  ship.  Fairford,  who  had 
lost  much  blood  from  his  wound,  was  lying  in  his 
berth  with  his  eyes  closed.  There  was  a  fierce  flush 
of  fever  upon  his  sunken  cheeks,  and  his  mind  had 

103 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

wandered  far  away  from  the  present  scene.  As 
Heathcote  looked  at  him,  he  heard  him  murmuring 
disconnectedly,  and  bent  his  head  to  listen. 

"  Margaret  .  .  .  Margaret  ...  I  wish  I  had  taken 
the  rose,"  the  weak  voice  muttered. 

Richard,  full  of  alarm,  laid  his  hand  gently  on  his 
brother's  shoulder. 

"  Blake,"  he  said  softly  to  the  sick  man,  who 
opened  his  eyes  and  gazed  at  him  dully. 

"You,  Dick,"  he  answered  feebly,  after  a  time,  his 
eye  brightening  as  he  collected  his  scattered  senses 
under  the  stimulus  of  his  brother's  appeal.  "  What 
have  you  done  with  that  rose  she  gave  you?"  he 
added,  still  a  little  dazed  by  the  situation. 

"  I  lost  it  ...  forgot  it  ...  left  it  behind,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,"  was  the  smiling  and  somewhat  shame 
faced  reply. 

"  Then  you  did  not  love  her?  " 

"Not  I,  charming  though  she  is." 

"  And  that  foreign  dance,  that  waltz,  Dick?" 

"  I  am  sorry  for  that,  too,  Blake,  and  I  am  sorry 
for  the  other  things  as  well.  I  want  to  take  back 
what  I  said  about  your  ships  and  your  flag." 

"  That 's  all  right,"  said  the  latter,  extending  his 
hand,  "  and  you  forgive  me  for  the  shot  I  would  n't 
take?" 

"  Of  course,"  responded  Heathcote,  promptly  clasp 
ing  the  proffered  hand,  though  he  added  bitterly: 
"  you  got -it  in  with  a  whole  ship's  broadside  instead 
of  with  a  single  pistol." 

"Don't  take  this  so  hard,  brother,"  said  Fairford, 
tenderly,  "  ours  is  the  heavier  ship,  you  know.  Other 
things  being  equal,  we  were  bound  to  win." 

104 


BROTHERS   UNITED 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "but  the  fact  that  other 
things  were  equal,  nay,  more  than  equal,  is  what 
makes  it  hard.  Blake,  I  shall  get  a  ship  when  I  get 
back  to  England,  if  you  let  us  back,  and  I  swear  to 
you  that  I'll  take  a  leaf  out  of  your  own  books. 
The  mother  has  often  found  it  necessary  to  learn 
from  the  child  before,  and  I  '11  have  a  ship  and  a  crew 
with  which  to  meet  the  best  of  you  some  day,  and 
that  soon." 

"  No  doubt,  no  doubt,  Dick.  I  shall  probably  get 
one  too,  when  I  return.  God  send  the  two  ships  do 
not  meet." 

"  Ay,"  replied  the  other,  "  I  say  amen  to  that,  but 
if  they  do  .  .  ." 

"  I  will  not  withhold  my  fire  at  that  time,"  said 
Fairford. 

"  And  we  '11  be  brothers  still,"  answered  Heathcote, 
smiling,  "  in  spite  of  all  that  happens." 

During  the  night  after  the  battle,  a  strange  sail  was 
reported  on  the  Constitution,  and  the  men  were  at: 
once  called  from  their  needed  rest  to  their  quarters 
again.  The  ship  was  as  ready  for  action  as  if  she  had 
not  fought  a  battle,  but  the  sail  speedily  drew  out  of 
sight.  The  Constitution  remaining  near  her  prize,  of 
course,  did  not  pursue. 

When  the  day  dawned  it  was  quite  evident  from 
the  appearance  of  the  Guerriere  that  her  condition 
was  hopeless.  The  officer  in  charge  hailed  to  say 
that  she  had  four  feet  of  water  in  her,  and  she  was 
making  water  fast.  Captain  Dacres'  melancholy 
prognostication  was  correct,  it  would  not  be  possible 
to  bring  her  in.  The  prize  crew  had  worked  assidu^ 

105 


FOR   THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

ously  to  save  her  all  night  long,  but  with  no  success ; 
and  after  a  thorough  investigation  by  his  more  ex 
perienced  officers,  upon  the  strength  of  their  report 
Hull  reluctantly  decided  to  set  her  on  fire  and  de 
stroy  her;  with  four  feet  of  water  in  the  hold,  she 
might  sink  at  any  moment. 

The  rest  of  the  day  was  employed  in  transferring 
the  balance  of  the  prisoners  and  the  wounded  men, 
with  their  personal  belongings,  and  other  portable 
property,  to  the  Constitution.  Trains  were  then  laid 
to  the  powder  magazine  of  the  ill-fated  Guerriere  and 
the  torch  was  about  to  be  applied,  when  Hull  with 
the  exquisite  courtesy  and  consideration  he  had 
shown  at  every  stage  since  the  capture,  asked  Dacres 
if  there  was  anything  else  on  the  ship  that  he  desired 
brought  away  before  she  was  destroyed. 

"My  mother's  Bible,"  said  Dacres,  gratefully;  "it 
will  be  found  in  my  cabin,  in  the  upper  drawer  of  my 
desk." 

So  the  Book  of  love  was  the  last  thing  removed 
from  the  ship  of  war  by  the  conquerors.  When  it 
was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  conquered,  his  eyes 
suffused  with  not  unmanly  tears.  This  action  was 
not  unprophetic  of  the  future,  for  by  and  by,  out  of 
that  strife  between  the  mother  and  the  daughter 
countries,  like  the  Book  from  the  cabin,  came  an 
honorable  peace  based  upon  mutual  concession  and 
mutual  respect,  never  since  broken,  and  which  in  the 
closing  years  of  the  century  has  blossomed  into  a 
flower  of  unity  and  harmony  among  the  Anglo- 
Saxons,  which  is  the  pride  of  the  age,  and  is  the  best 
augury  for  the  peace  of  the  world  in  the  future. 

The  torch  was  then  applied  to  the  Guerriere. 
106 


BROTHERS   UNITED 

The  Constitution  drew  off  a  suitable  distance  and 
hove  to,  to  wait  for  the  end.  The  English  officers 
and  prisoners  clustered  about  the  rails,  as  they  were 
permitted  to  gaze  upon  their  ship.  The  flames  spread 
rapidly,  and  some  of  the  guns  left  shotted  were  dis 
charged  by  the  heat;  until  with  this  wild  and  mourn 
ful  salute  of  farewell  from  her  own  batteries,  a  little 
after  six  bells  in  the  afternoon  watch,  she  blew  up. 

"  When  she  was  launched,"  said  Captain  Dacres 
to  himself,  "  she  sailed  under  the  tri-color  of  France, 
then  we  captured  her  in  fair  fight,  now  she  is  gone 
down  under  the  red  flag  of  ruin.  Who  would  have 
thought  it?  What  an  end  to  a  great  career!  Who' 
would  have  thought  it ! "  he  added  bitterly,  turning 
toward  the  cabin,  followed  by  his  officers.  There  was 
no  cheering.  The  chivalrous  Americans  stood  up 
in  silence,  out  of  respect  to  his  grief.  The  Constitu 
tion  was  alone  upon  the  ocean. 

The  first  blow  had  been  struck  for  the  freedom  of 
the  sea. 


107 


CHAPTER   XVI 

Captain  Hull's  Reward 

TEN  days  later  the  Constitution  reached  Boston, 
and  entering  the  lower  harbor,  anchored  off  the 
lighthouse.  The  day  being  Sunday,  Captain  Hull 
remained  quietly  at  his  anchorage  and  did  not  bring 
the  ship  up  to  the  city.  However,  the  news  of  his 
successful  battle  was  carried  on  shore  by  the  first 
boat  which  spoke  with  him. 

Though  it  was  Sunday  in  a  Puritan  land,  the 
people  could  not  restrain  their  joy ;  a  Yankee  ship 
built  in  their  own  shipyards,  and  under  a  Yankee 
captain,  had  met  the  detested  enemy  in  the  shape  of 
that  hateful  scourge  of  the  seaboard  —  the  Guer- 
riere —  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  of  actual  battle, 
had  not  only  captured,  but  had  destroyed  her. 

On  Monday  morning,  with  the  national  colors 
flying  from  every  masthead,  and  bedecked  with  flags, 
and  with  the  British  ensign  below  the  stars  and  stripes, 
Old  Ironsides  came  up  to  the  city;  and,  amid  the 
booming  of  cannon,  and  frantic  cheers  from  the  men 
crowded  upon  the  gaily  dressed  ships  in  the  harbor, 
gracefully  and  with  becoming  dignity,  as  if  conscious 
of  her  honor,  moved  to  her  anchorage.  The  wharves 
and  streets  and  buildings  overlooking  the  bay  were 
filled  with  people  mad  with  excitement,  and  when 
Hull  stepped  ashore,  he  received  such  an  enthusiastic 

108 


CAPTAIN   HULL'S   REWARD 

welcome  from  the  inhabitants  of  the  profusely  dec 
orated  town,  as  has  rarely  been  accorded  to  a  citizen 
of  the  Republic. 

The  news  came  in  the  nick  of  time.  General 
Hull,  who  was  singularly  enough  an  uncle  of  the 
doughty  captain  of  the  Constitution,  had  just  sur 
rendered  Detroit  and  the  whole  territory  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  without  a  blow;  the  garrison  at  Fort  Dearborn 
had  been  massacred  by  the  Indians;  the  English 
armies  had  crossed  the  northern  and  western  frontiers, 
and  undeterred  by  the  feeble  opposition  of  the  raw 
American  militia  levies  were  advancing  toward  the 
interior  in  every  direction.  The  joy  of  the  people 
of  the  country  when  the  news  of  Hull's  mighty 
victory  spread  among  them,  as  it  did  with  marvellous 
rapidity,  was  unparalleled.  Honors,  swords  and 
pieces  of  plate  were  showered  upon  the  officers  and 
crew,  and  banquets  and  feasts  galore  were  tendered 
to  them.  Congress  voted  medals  to  the  officers, 
many  of  whom  were  promoted,  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars  prize  money  to  be  divided  among  the  officers 
and  crew. 

Fairford,  aided  by  youth  and  health  and  his  brother's 
careful  nursing,  had  recovered  somewhat  from  his 
wound,  and  was  given  a  promotion  and  a  leave  of 
absence  with  an  assurance  of  the  command  of  the  first 
sloop-of-war  vacant.  He  did  not  return  to  Virginia, 
but  waited  in  Boston  for  his  promised  command.  The 
two  most  acceptable  things  which  came  to  Captain 
Hull,  who  generously  yielded  the  further  command  of 
the  Constitution  when  he  might  have  retained  it,  to  a 
brother  officer,  Commodore  Bainbridge,  were  not  be 
stowed  either  by  Congress  or  the  public  generally. 

TOQ 


FOR  THE    FREEDOM    OF   THE    SEA 

One  was  found  in  the  report  of  Captain  Dacres  to 
the  British  Admiralty.  In  it  he  said :  — 

"  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  state  that  the  conduct  of  Captain 
Hull  and  his  officers  to  our  men  has  been  that  of  a  brave 
enemy,  the  greatest  care  being  taken  to  prevent  our  men 
from  losing  the  slightest  trifle,  and  the  greatest  attention 
being  given  to  the  wounded." 

A  friendship  sprang  up  between  these  two  gallant 
seamen,  which  lasted  until  death  had  parted  them. 

The  other  came  to  him  in  the  shape  of  a  message 
from  the  young  woman  of  whom  he  had  spoken  to 
Fairford  the  night  of  the  interrupted  duel. 

"  How  delightful,"  she  is  reported  to  have  said  to 
one  whom  she  knew  would  carry  her  words  to  the 
captain —  "  how  delightful  it  must  be  to  be  the  wife 
of  a  hero !  " 

Captain  Hull  after  due  deliberation  concluded  that 
he  had  spoken  unadvisedly  when  he  declared  that  a 
sailor's  best  bride  was  his  ship,  and  Fairford  had  the 
privilege  of  being  best  man  at  his  wedding  several 
months  after. 

At  the  wedding  the  doughty  captain  carried  a 
brand  new  chapeau,  and  the  curious  might  have  seen 
these  words  traced  on  the  band  inside  the  cocked 
hat, — 

"  Compliments  of  R.  Dacres,  London." 


1 10 


HI 
THE    EPIC   OF   THE   WHIP 


CHAPTER   XVII 
The  Pieces  Are  Set 

TWO  years  had  elapsed  since  the  famous  victory 
of  the  Constitution  over  the  Guerriere.  Dur 
ing  this  period,  the  ship  to  which  Blakely  Fairford 
had  been  assigned  as  commander  had  been  securely 
blockaded  in  one  of  the  harbors  on  the  Maine  coast, 
and,  save  for  a  spirited  repulse  of  a  heavily  armed 
cutting-out  expedition,  his  service  had  been  one  of 
ceaseless  watchfulness  and  wearing  inactivity. 

Early  in  the  year  1814  he  had  applied  for  the  com 
mand  of  the  new  frigate  Narragansett,  36,  then  near- 
ing  completion  at  the  Navy  Yard  near  Washington. 
His  request  had  been  granted  after  due  deliberation; 
but,  unfortunately,  the  day  he  received  the  orders 
detaching  him  from  his  blockaded  cruiser,  and  assign 
ing  him  to  the  command  of  the  Narragansett,  the 
British  under  General  Ross,  with  the  co-operation 
of  a  powerful  fleet  under  Admiral  Cockburn,  which 
had  held  well-nigh  undisputed  control  of  the  Chesa 
peake  since  the  year  began,  defeated  the  American 
troops  at  Bladensburg,  captured  and  burned  Wash 
ington,  and  carried  away  the  Narragansett.  The 
ship  had  just  been  completed,  and  was  filled  with 
stores  and  ammunition  for  a  long  cruise. 

Awaiting  the  arrival  of  her  new  captain,  who  was 
to  bring  a  large  detachment  of  men  with  him,  she 
8  113 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

had  but  a  small  crew  on  board,  which  had  not  been 
able  to  make  any  effective  resistance  to  the  British 
attack.  An  attempt  to  destroy  her  before  the  enemy 
took  possession  had  failed,  owing  to  the  general 
panic  and  disgraceful  disorganization  everywhere 
prevalent.  As  the  invaders  withdrew  at  once  from 
Washington,  in  order  to  prosecute  their  attack  upon 
Baltimore,  the  Narragansett,  with  a  prize  crew 
aboard,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Henry  Cun 
ningham,  late  commander  of  the  Lion,  who  had 
been  invalided  home,  had  dropped  down  the  Potomac, 
and  had  anchored  off  the  west  shore  of  the  Chesa 
peake  Bay.  As  luck  would  have  it,  she  lay  a  mile 
or  two  below  Colonel  Barrett's  place,  where  she 
remained  for  a  short  period. 

Sir  James  and  Evelyn  Heathcote  had  gone  aboard 
of  her  the  day  of  her  arrival  to  take  passage  for  Eng 
land.  After  the  declaration  of  war,  Sir  James' 
business  affairs  in  Virginia,  where  as  the  guest  of 
Colonel  Barrett  he  had  remained  unmolested,  and  a 
serious  illness  early  in  the  year  had  prevented  his 
return  when  it  was  practicable;  after  that,  various 
other  considerations  had  concurred  to  detain  him  in 
America,  until,  owing  to  the  activity  of  the  Ameri 
can  war  vessels  and  privateers,  which  were  sweep 
ing  the  seas  in  every  direction,  it  would  have  been 
dangerous  to  attempt  a  return  in  anything  other 
than  a  heavily  armed  cruiser.  He  had  gladly  wel 
comed  the  advent  of  the  British  fleet  and  army,  and 
eagerly  availed  himself  of  Captain  Cunningham's 
offer  of  a  passage  home  in  his  ship. 

The  presence  of  Sir  James  Heathcote  in  America 
had  not  been  without  avail  to  the  Barretts,  for  by 

114 


THE    PIECES   ARE    SET 

his  influence  and  position  he  had  been  able  to 
secure  the  immunity  of  the  plantation  of  his  friend, 
as  well  as  that  of  his  wife,  from  the  ravages  of  the 
British  marauders,  who  had  lately  infested  the  land, 
—  burning,  plundering,  and  outraging  in  every  direc 
tion,  looking  upon  the  undefended  counties  of  the 
Chesapeake  as  their  pleasant  gardens  from  which 
they  took  what  they  would. 

Life  in  the  midst  of  stirring  times  elsewhere  had 
flowed  by  peacefully,  therefore,  for  the  colonel  and 
his  daughter.  That  somewhat  immature  but  pre 
cocious  young  lady  had  rounded  and  developed  into- 
a  woman,  both  in  character  and  in  person.  Social 
gayeties  had,  of  course,  been  largely  intermitted 
since  the  war  began,  most  of  the  young  men  having 
gone  into  the  service  of  their  country;  and  the 
two  girls,  Evelyn  and  Margaret,  had  enjoyed  abun 
dant  opportunity  to  dream  uninterruptedly  of  the 
absent  sailors  to  whom  they  had  given  their  hearts. 

The  tedium  of  their  hours  had  been  lightened  by 
a  visit  from  Richard  Heathcote,  who  had  been 
allowed,  through  Colonel  Barrett's  influence,  this- 
privilege  on  his  parole,  during  his  brief  stay  in  this 
country  as  a  prisoner  of  war  before  he  had  been 
exchanged.  There  were  no  waltzes  and  flirtations 
on  this  occasion,  and  the  tacit  understanding  which 
had  existed  betwen  Evelyn  and  himself  was  formally 
ratified  by  an  engagement  based  upon  their  mutual 
affection. 

Richard  had  carried  messages  of  affection  to 
Colonel  Barrett,  and  others  of  a  more  formal  charac 
ter  to  his  daughter,  from  Fairford,  in  response  to* 
which  Margaret  had  written  in  a  friendly,  sisterly 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF   THE   SEA 

way,  which  was  very  far  from  expressing  her  true 
feeling,  as  often  as  limited  and  frequently  inter 
rupted  postal  facilities  permitted.  Fairford  replied 
to  her  letters  in  a  similar  spirit. 

There  had  been  no  other  communication  between 
them,  however,  and  matters  still  continued  in  a 
most  unsatisfactory  condition.  Margaret,  woman 
like,  trusted  and  dreamed  and  hoped,  while  Fair- 
ford,  by  determined  attention  to  his  duties,  constantly 
-strove  to  resist  the  ever-increasing  tension  upon  his 
heartstrings,  which  the  thought  of  her  produced. 

When  Fairford  received  his  orders  to  take  com 
mand  of  the  Narragansett,  he  had  immediately 
started  for  Washington  with  a  picked  body  of  a 
hundred  seamen,  who  had  been  with  him  for  sev 
eral  years,  including,  in  their  number,  old  Joseph 
Rhodes,  the  boatswain's  mate,  and  Master  Billy 
Cotton,  the  youngster  who  had  been  so  zealous  for 
his  prize-money  on  the  Constitution,  with  several 
other  veterans  from  that  ship.  Ludlow,  his  inti 
mate  friend,  had  been  appointed  his  first  lieutenant, 
and  accompanied  them. 

They  reached  Baltimore  in  time  to  take  part  in 
repelling  the  attack  upon  that  city,  and  it  was  there 
that  they  learned  of  the  capture  of  the  Narragan 
sett,  and  her  present  position  off  the  mouth  of  the 
Potomac.  Fairford  at  once  conceived  the  bold 
•design  of  cutting  her  out.  A  careful  reconnoissance 
which  he  made  with  a  small  boat  soon  after  his 
arrival,  disclosed  the  fact  that  she  was  moored  head 
and  stern  about  two  cables'  length  from  the  other 
English  ships,  — a  man-of-war  brig  of  eighteen  guns, 
and  a  new  forty-four  gun  frigate  which  the  English 

116 


THE    PIECES   ARE   SET 

had  built  after  the   Constitution's  model,    to  cope 
with  the  heavy  American  frigates. 

The  second  night  after  his  observations,  as  there 
was  no  moonlight,  he  selected  for  the  attempt.  He 
had  not  yet  had  time  to  communicate  his  arrival  to 
Colonel  Barrett  and  his  family,  as  he  most  assuredly 
would  have  done  under  other  circumstances;  and 
they  were  not  aware  of  his  presence  in  their  vicinity. 
His  prompt  decision  to  cut  out  the  ship  at  once  was 
most  fortunate,  as  it  happened,  for  the  Narragansett 
was  under  orders  to  get  away  for  England  on  the  day 
following  the  night  selected  for  the  boat  expedition.. 
She  had  been  delayed  for  a  specific  cause. 


117 


CHAPTER   XVIII 
The  Sentence  of  the  Court 

IN  the  cabin  of  the  captain  of  the  Narragansett 
the  captains  of  the  three  ships  and  several  other 
officers  in  full  uniform  were  seated  at  one  end  of  a 
table.  At  the  other  end  three  men,  heavily  hand- 
•cuffed  and  strongly  guarded  by  marines,  were  stand 
ing.  The  first  was  one  William  Badely,  an 
Englishman,  once  a  member  of  the  crew  of  His 
Britannic  Majesty's  late  lamented  ship  Guerriere; 
the  other  two  were  John  and  Samuel  Martin,  father 
and  son,  the  Gloucester  fishermen,  sometime  mem- 
"bers  of  the  crew  of  His  Britannic  Majesty's  ship 
Lion,  once  commanded  by  Henry  Cunningham,  who 
was  now  in  command  of  the  Narragansett  prize,  and 
who  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table. 

These  officers  comprised  a  court-martial  which 
had  tried  these  three  deserters  who  had  been  captured 
with  the  Narragansett,  to  which  they  had  been 
ordered  by  a  scurvy  trick  of  fate.  They  had  pre 
viously  finished  their  deliberations,  but  had  been 
reassembled,  and  the  prisoners  had  been  summoned 
to  hear  their  sentences,  which  had  been  received 
back  that  morning  from  Admiral  Cockburn,  com 
manding  the  fleet  in  the  Chesapeake. 

"William  Badely,  stand  forth,"  said  Cunningham, 
the  president  of  the  court,  with  much  solemnity,  at 

118  % 


THE   SENTENCE   OF  THE   COURT 

the  same  time  standing  up  himself  and  putting  his 
cocked  hat  upon  his  head,  and  laying  his  hand  upon 
his  sword,  "and  hear  the  sentence  of  this  honorable 
court,  which  has  been  approved  by  the  admiral 
commanding  the  fleet.  The  sentence  is,  that  you 
be  hung  from  the  yard-arm  of  the  Narragansett 
prize,  at  two  bells  in  the  first  dog-watch,  this  day, 
October  ist,  1814;  there  to  hang  until  sunrise  the 
next  morning,  as  a  warning  to  the  crews  of  His 
Majesty's  ships  in  these  waters,  for  desertion  and 
for  bearing  arms  in  the  service  of  the  enemy ;  and 
may  God  have  mercy  on  your  soul !  " 

Badely,  though  not  deficient  in  the  ordinary  cour 
age  of  his  station,  turned  as  white  as  a  sheet  at  this 
terrible  announcement,  which  was  received  in  deep 
silence  by  the  others  in  the  cabin.  Moistening  his 
lips  nervously  with  his  tongue,  he  endeavored  to 
speak,  and  finally  gave  utterance  in  a  hoarse  whisper. 

"For  God's  sake,  sir,  your  honor,  give  me  another 
chance.  I  didn't  ship  willin'  on  the  Gurreer,  sir. 
I  was  pressed  the  very  night  I  was  married,"  he 
went  on,  piteously  stretching  forth  his  manacled 
hands,  "an"  I  ain't  never  seen  my  wife  since  the  day 
I  left  her  swoondin'  on  the  beach.  So  help  me 
God,  I  never  meant  no  harm  by  leavin'  the  ship. 
Oh,  good,  kind  gentlemen,"  he  continued,  his  wild 
gaze  turning  toward  the  faces  of  the  other  members 
of  the  court,  as  he  recoiled  before  Cunningham's 
impassive,  contemptuous  glance,  "you  wouldn't  go 
for  to  make  a  poor  sailor  man  wot  knows  nothin' 
about  the  rights  and  wrongs  of  this  matter,  slip  his 
cable  an'  sail  into  the  presence  of  his  Maker,  with 
out  no  more  chance  than  four  hours  leaves  him  for 

no 


FOR   THE    FREEDOM    OF   THE    SEA 

to  get  ready  in?  Oh,  please,  sir,  if  you  have  a  wife 
of  your  own,  an"  love  life  an'  freedom,"  he  begged, 
with  rude  eloquence,  turning  to  Cunningham  again, 
his  voice  gaining  strength,  "give  me  another 
chance,  your  hon9r.  I  '11  fight  for  you,  I  '11  work 
for  you  —  I'll  do  anything.  For  God's  sake,  sir, 
don't  hang  me  like  a  dog." 

"Enough  of  this,"  said  Cunningham,  harshly; 
''the  sentence  of  the  court  will  be  carried  out.  The 
chaplain  will  visit  you,  and  if  you  have  any  prepara 
tions  to  make  you  would  better  make  them.  Ser 
geant,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  marine  guard, 
"remove  your  prisoner."  The  blood  came  rushing 
into  the  face  of  Badely  as  he  realized  the  hopeless 
ness  of  his  situation,  and  with  it  came  that  reckless 
indifference  which  often  follows  hard  upon  the  heels 
of  departing  hope.  Grinding  his  teeth  with  rage, 
he  lifted  up  his  hands,  and,  leaping  forward,  struck 
murderously  at  the  captain. 

"D — n  your  soul,"  he  cried,  while  his  frantic 
efforts  to  reach  the  officer  were  frustrated  by  the 
promptitude  of  the  guards,  who  closed  around  him 
and  seized  him  in  a  ruthless  grasp,  "  if  I  could  only 
get  at  ye,  I  'd  tear  the  heart  out  of  ye,  ye  bloody 
murderin'  tyrant.  May  the  curse  of  God  come  on 
ye  for  this  day's  work,  and  on  King  George,  aye, 
and  on  his  chaplain,  too.  I  want  none  of  them, 
ye  —  " 

"Gag  that  man,"  quietly  said  Cunningham,  who 
had  not  moved  an  inch  during  the  onset;  for  though 
the  Englishman  was  a  tyrant,  he  was  not  a  coward, 
—  "and  remove  him." 

Screaming  frightful  oaths  and  imprecations,  and 
120 


THE   SENTENCE   OF  THE   COURT 

struggling  in  a  most  terrible  way,  Badely  was  finally 
overpowered  and  dragged  from  the  cabin. 

Turning  calmly  to  the  other  two  prisoners,  the 
captain  continued :  "  The  sentence  of  the  court  for 
the  same  offences,  upon  you,  John  Martin,  is,  that 
you  receive  three  hundred  lashes  on  the  bare  back 
with  the  cat-o'-nine-tails,  at  eight  bells,  noon,  on 
this  ship,  this  day;  and  that  you,  Samuel  Martin, 
in  consideration  of  your  youth,  receive  one  hundred 
and  fifty  lashes  of  the  cat  at  the  same  time,  and 
in  the  same  place,  and  you  may  thank  His  Ma 
jesty's  officers  for  their  mercy  and  clemency  in  your 
case. " 

Samuel  Martin,  who  was  a  slender,  somewhat 
delicate  young  fellow,  scarcely  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  turned  pale  and  laughed  wildly. 

"  Mercy ! "  he  shrieked,  —  "  you  call  one  hundred 
and  fifty  lashes  mercy ! " 

"Silence,  sir,"  shouted  Cunningham. 

"By  heaven,"  said  the  elder  Martin,  a  man  of  the 
stoutest  and  strongest  fibre,  "you  can't  do  it.  You 
dare  not !  As  I  told  ye,  I  am  an  American  citizen, 
born  in  Massachusetts,  and  my  son  here  as  well. 
There  's  not  a  man  standing  at  that  table  but  what 
knows  it.  Did  you  ever  hear  an  Englishman  talk 
as  I  do  ?  I  claim  our  rights,  ye  d — d  murdering, 
kidnapping  —  " 

"If  you  say  another  word,  Martin,"  interrupted 
Cunningham,  fiercely,  "I'll  add  another  hundred 
lashes  to  your  punishment;  you  '11  find  out  what  we 
dare." 

"You  —  "  shrieked  old  Martin,  when  Cunningham 
continued,  — 

121 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"And,  on  second  thought,  I  won't  add  it  to  your 
own  punishment,  but  to  your  boy's  yonder." 

At  this  fearful  threat  Martin's  lips  were  sealed. 
Ever  since  the  death  of  his  wife  at  the  birth  of  this 
child,  his  lonely  life  had  held  but  one  passion,  — 
his  son.  He  clenched  his  teeth  together,  and  looked 
at  Cunningham,  who  smiled  slightly,  in  bitter 
triumph. 

"It  is  a  bad  thing  to  cross  me,  as  you  have  found 
out.  It  was  a  bad  day  when  you  deserted  my  ship, 
Master  Martin  —  remember,  no  more  words,"  he 
added,  lifting  a  warning  hand,  as  he  saw  the  bitter 
struggle  going  on  in  the  man's  breast.  He  waited 
a  moment  to  get  the  full  effect  of  his  triumph. 

"Take  them  forward,"  he  said,  finally,  with  a  low 
scornful  laugh,  which  capped  the  climax,  and  added 
the  last  straw  to  the  balance  in  which  old  Martin 
weighed  his  tormentor. 


122 


CHAPTER   XIX 
The  Cat-  o '  •  Nine-  Tails 

AS   eight   bells   were  struck  forward,  the  shrill 
pipes  of  the   boatswain  and    his   mates  were 
heard,  followed  by  the  hoarse  cry:  — 

"All  hands  lay  aft  to  witness  punishment." 
In  obedience  to  this  command,  the  expectant  sea 
men  came  tumbling  up  from  below,  or  lay  down 
from  the  topgallant  forecastle  and  ranged  themselves 
forward  of  the  mainmast  in  either  gangway,  accord 
ing  to  their  watches,  facing  aft.  They  were  joking 
and  laughing  among  themselves,  eagerly  anticipat 
ing  the  approaching  spectacle,  which  they  looked 
upon  as  a  delectable  amusement  when  not  the 
objects  of  punishment  themselves,  so  blunted  were 
their  sensibilities  by  that  harsh  and  brutal  treatment 
wrongly  considered  necessary  to  proper  discipline. 

A  marine  guard,  lent  by  one  of  the  other  ships, 
was  drawn  up  in  lines  on  the  poop  deck,  facing  for 
ward,  with  their  muskets  charged  and  ready.  The 
captain  stood  near  the  starboard  gangway  on  the 
quarter-deck,  facing  the  crew;  the  other  officers,  fully 
armed,  Jamieson,  the  first  lieutenant,  at  their  head, 
formed  a  little  group  near  the  break  of  the  poop, 
abaft  of  and  at  some  distance  from  the  captain.  On 
the  port  side  of  the  quarter-deck  a  heavy  wooden 

123 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

hatch  grating  had  been  thrown  upon  the  deck  in 
front  of  the  cabin  doors. 

"Bring  up  the  two  prisoners,"  said  the  captain  to 
the  master-at-arms.  "  Mr.  Jamieson,  you  will  read 
the  findings  and  sentence  of  the  court-martial  to  the 
crew." 

While  the  brief  document  was  being  read,  the 
master-at-arms  and  his  assistants  brought  the  prison 
ers  to  the  mast.  The  several  boatswain's  mates, 
who,  for  their  strength,  skill,  and  experience,  had 
been  selected  to  administer  the  brutal  punishment, 
now  rolled  up  the  sleeves  of  their  shirts,  exposing 
their  brawny  arms,  and  each  one  took  a  new  cat-o'- 
nine-tails,  commonly  called  the  cat. 

This  terrible  instrument  of  punishment  consisted 
of  nine  stout  pieces  of  new  quarter-inch  manila 
rope,  each  about  a  yard  long,  usually  with  one  end 
carefully  whipped,  and  the  other  attached  securely 
to  a  stout  wooden  handle.  Sometimes  each  rope 
ended  in  a  "Turk's  head,"  a  round  hard  knot,  with 
other  similar  knots  half  way  between  the  end  and 
the  handle. 

"Which  one  shall  we  take  first,  sir?"  said- the 
master-at-arms. 

"The  old  one,"  replied  the  captain;  "we'll  let 
him  show  his  boy  how  to  take  it." 

The  two  seamen  holding  the  unfortunate  Martin 
roughly  strippd  his  shirt  from  him,  and  turned  down 
his  trousers  slightly,  exposing  the  whole  range  of 
his  bare  back.  Then  they  started  to  drag  him  aft. 

"I'll  walk,"  said  the  man;  "you  don't  have  to 
drag  me." 

"Anxious  to  get  there,  are  you?"  sneered  the 
124 


THE   CAT-O'-NINE-TAILS 

captain,  tauntingly,  with  his  handsome  face  flushed 
deeply,  bespeaking  the  fact  that  he  had  been  drink 
ing,  and  was  somewhat  under  the  influence  of  the 
liquor  he  had  taken,  else  he  would  never  have  de 
scended  to  such  undignified  baiting.  "You'll  be 
more  anxious  to  get  away  from  that  grating  presently, 
I  fancy,"  he  added,  with  his  mocking'laugh.  That 
was  the  second  time  Martin  had  heard  that  laugh. 

Not  deigning  to  reply,  and  only  shooting  one 
glance  of  such  determinate  hatred  and  resolution  in 
the  captain's  direction  as  might  well  have  made  him 
tremble,  if  he  had  been  in  his  right  senses,  his  arms 
still  tightly  clasped  by  his  guards,  who  seemed  to 
fear  an  attempt  at  escape,  he  walked  to  the  grating. 
Ropes  were  brought,  and  his  bare  feet  were  tied 
securely  to  the  heavy  cross-pieces  of  the  grating; 
his  hands  were  triced  up  over  his  head,  and  lashed 
in  the  same  way  to  another  grating,  which  had  been 
fastened  to  the  break  of  the  poop,  leaving  his  back 
to  the  crew.  The  first  boatswain's  mate  stepped  to 
one  side,  shook  out  the  cat,  and  then  looked  at  the 
captain. 

"Go  on,"  said  that  officer. 

In  a  silence  which  was  absolute,  the  man  threw 
the  cat  backward  over  his  shoulder,  and  then  raised 
his  arm  and  brought  it  down  squarely  upon  the 
white  and  naked  back  of  the  prisoned  man.  The 
nine  ropes  whizzed  through  the  air,  singing  a  song 
of  hate  and  destruction.  Then,  with  a  dreadful 
sucking  clasp,  they  bit  eagerly  into  the  smooth 
white  flesh  of  the  unfortunate  man;  the  tender  skin 
seemed  to  crisp  and  curl  upon  the  mighty  back,  and 
broad  red  welts  showed  themselves  from  shoulder  to 

I25 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

hip.     The   man    shuddered  slightly,    but   made   no 
sound. 

"  One ! "  said  the  boatswain,  who  had  been  ap 
pointed  to  keep  tally.  The  arm  was  raised  again ; 
this  time  the  man  sprang  forward  viciously,  as  if  to 
make  his  own  weight  tell  in  the  blow,  and  once 
more  the  lash  fell  upon  the  sailor.  With  a  skill 
born  of  long  practice,  the  boatswain's  mate  slightly 
checked  the  lash  as  it  descended,  and  gave  it  a  pecu 
liar  twisting,  withdrawing  motion;  when  it  fell 
away  it  brought  little  pieces  of  flesh  with  it,  and 
the  blood  spurted. 

The  man  shuddered  again,  but  kept  silent,  as  before. 

"Good,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Two  ! "  counted  the  boatswain,  impassively. 

At  twenty-five  lashes,  the  man  who  had  been 
officiating  gave  place  to  another,  a  left-handed  man 
this  time,  who  crossed  the  blows.  At  fifty  lashes, 
the  flesh  on  the  back  looked  like  raw  meat  freshly 
torn  from  a  bleeding  carcass. 

The  terrible  punishment  was  almost  more  than 
the  resolution  of  man  could  bear,  yet  not  a  single 
groan  had  escaped  from  the  closed  lips  of  the  iron- 
hearted  sailor.  He  stood  leaning  upon  his  suspended 
arms,  convulsive  shudders  alone  bespeaking  life. 
His  magnificent  courage  and  resolution  even  evoked 
the  admiration  of  the  hardened  crew,  who  had  not 
been  used  to  a  silent  reception  of  punishment  of  this 
kind ;  and  murmurs  were  heard  here  and  there 
among  them,  until  they  were  silenced  by  the  stern 
voice  of  the  inflexible  captain. 

At  the  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  lash,  physical 
nature  could  stand  no  rrfore,  and  there  was  a  sudden 

126 


THE   CAT-O'-NINE-TAILS 

collapse  of  body,  not  of  will,  which  left  the  lacerated"? 
man  hanging  limply  from  the  lashings  which  secured? 
his  hands. 

"  Belay  there  a  moment, "  said  the  captain.     "  Some 
of  you  fetch  a  bucket  of  water,"  he  continued,  while 
the  boatswain's  mate  combed  out  the  knotted,  inter-  ' 
twined  strands  of  the  bloody  cat  with  his  fingers. 

"Dash  it  over  him,"  he  said. 

As  the  cold  salt  water  struck  Martin's  body  and 
penetrated  the  ragged  and  bleeding  wounds  upon 
his  back,  consciousness  returned,  and  before  he  had 
recovered  full  command  of  himself  a  low  moan  rose 
to  his  lips,  which  he  stifled  as  soon  as  he  realized 
the  situation. 

"Doctor,"  said  the  captain,  with  a  wave  of  his 
hand  to  that  functionary,  "  step  forward  and  feel  his 
pulse." 

"  He  will  safely  stand  a  little  more,  I  think,  cap 
tain,"  replied  the  obsequious  physician,  after  obey 
ing  the  command.  "Better  finish  out  the  second 
hundred,  I  should  say,  sir." 

"  Very  good.  That  will  leave  one  hundred  more 
to  be  delivered  when  he  gets  over  this  —  as  a  dessert 
for  his  meal,"  said  the  captain,  brutally,  nodding 
acquiescence.  • 

This  barbarous  custom  of  deferring  a  portion  of 
the  punishment  was  frequently  practised,  in  spite  of 
the  piteous  importunities  of  the  men,  who  had  no. 
wish  to  receive  an  additional  lashing  upon  a  half-, 
healed  and  tender  back,  but  usually  preferred  to  take- 
it  all  at  once,  at  whatever  present  cost.  Therefore, 
at  the  two  hundredth  lash  Martin  was  unbound. 

As  he  was  turned  about  to  face  the  officers  and 
127 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

crew,  his  face  was  scarcely  less  frightful  in  appear 
ance  than  had  been  his  raw  and  beaten  back.  A 
carelessly  delivered  blow  —  or,  perhaps,  a  malicious 
one  —  had  caused  the  lashes  of  the  cat  to  reach  his 
face,  which  was  seamed  with  great  red  welts.  The 
knotted  end  of  one  lash  had  struck  him  fairly  in  the 
right  eye,  which  the  blow  had  beaten  to  a  pulp. 
Blood  dripped  down  upon  his  breast  from  his  under 
lip,  which  he  had  bitten  through  and  through  in  his 
effort  at  self-restraint,  so  that  it  now  hung  pendulous 
upon  his  chin.  His  sides  were  seamed  by  the  over 
reaching  ends  of  the  lashes.  He  had  stepped  up  to 
the  gratings  a  splendid,  stalwart  man,  in  the  prime 
of  life  and  strength ;  he  left  it  an  old,  bent,  broken 
wreck  —  broken  in  body,  not  in  spirit. 

As  he  was  turned,  he  staggered  blindly,  and  would 
have  fallen  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  assistance  of 
the  man  who  attended  him.  There  was  nothing 
about  him  that,  to  a  casual  inspection,  indicated 
humanity  or  strength ;  even  the  baleful  glance  of 
his  bloodshot  but  unwounded  left  eye  was  beast-like 
in  its  dull,  stupid  ferocity  —  the  animal,  for  the 
moment,  was  uppermost. 

"  Shall  we  take  him  below,  sir?  "  said  the  master- 
at-arms,  carelessly  sprinkling  the  man's  back  with  a 
handful  of  salt. 

"No,"  said  the  captain,  brutally,  "let  him  stay 
by  the  mast  there,  so  he  can  get  a  full  view  of  how 
his  whelp  takes  it.  I  '11  break  the  will  of  the 
mutinous  dog  before  I  get  through  with  him,"  he 
said  to  himself,  muttering  fiercely  in  his  disappoint 
ment  at  Martin's  prodigious  self-control. 

128 


CHAPTER   XX 


T  TNABLE  to  stand  alone,  old  Martin  leaned 
vJ  heavily  against  the  fife-rail  about  the  mast, 
and  his  attendants  released  him  as  now  beneath  con 
tempt.  When  he  had  gone  aft  to  receive  the  cruel 
and  undeserved  punishment  a  few  moments  since, 
his  mind  had  been  so  full  of  the  bitter  outrage  that 
was  to  be  done  not  only  to  his  citizenship,  but  to 
his  manhood  as  well;  his  being  was  so  pervaded 
with  the  keenest  sense  of  the  bitter  injustice  and 
glaring  wrong  of  it  all;  and  his  soul  was  so  filled 
with  rage  at  the  author  of  his  misery,  and  of  the 
tyrannical  system  he  represented,  and  the  conscious 
ness  of  his  own  impotent  helplessness, — :that  he 
ground  his  teeth  together,  and  scarcely  felt  the  first 
blow  of  the  cat. 

But  those  blows  succeeded  each  other  in  such 
rapid  succession,  falling  again  and  again  with  an 
ever-increasing  pain  upon  the  same  portion  of  his 
body,  that  the  mental  anguish  he  had  suffered  grad 
ually  faded  away  in  the  dreadful  present  stroke  of 
that  hydra-headed,  snake-like  whip.  His  nervous 
system  responded  so  keenly  to  the  terrible  demands 
made  upon  it  by  his  bodily  agony,  that  all  the  think 
ing  power  he  had  left  merged  itself  in  one  supreme 
9  129 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

effort  to  keep  silent.     He  thought  of   nothing  but 
how  to  suffer  and  make  no  sound. 

Oh,  the  torture  of  those  whistling  lashes!  The 
familiar  objects  near  him  swam  redly  before  his 
vision  as  he  stared  at  them.  He  forgot  what  he  was 
—  where  he  was  —  what  was  happening;  but  one 
thing  remained  to  him,  — he  must  not  shriek,  nor 
moan,  nor  sob,  nor  cry  aloud  ;  he  was  to  be  silent, 
no  matter  what  occurred.  He  concentrated  his  will 
upon  that  idea,  and  clung  to  it  with  a  tenacity  of 
resolution,  unbreakable.  He  was  long  past  tears. 
Tears  are  for  the  feeble  —  for  the  little  sorrow  —  for 
the  easy  pain. 

Presently  he  found  himself  at  the  focus  of  a  vast 
whirling  vortex  of  wild,  lurid  sensations.  The 
world  was  strangely  silent  to  him,  save  for  a  fierce 
singing,  whistling  sound,  like  the  beating  wings  of 
a  bird  rushing  madly  through  the  air  —  the  song  of 
the  lash !  By  and  by  the  unbearable  physical  pain 
seemed  to  grow  gradually  less.  There  was  no 
respite  for  him  in  the  torture,  however,  —  a  more 
intolerable  agony  succeeded.  Strange  things  took 
the  place  of  the  whip,  and  caused  him  even  more- 
suffering.  One  was  a  rough  hammering  sound. 
Beat !  —  beat !  —  beat  !  —  it  said,  in  the  silence  which 
surrounded  the  vast  whirlpool  of  which  he  was  the 
centre.  Beat !  —  beat !  —  beat !  It  seemed  to  rise  up 
and  strike  him  in  the  throat  and  choke  him.  He 
could  not  know  that  it  was  his  own  wild  heart. 

The  whip  caressed  him  now.  Its  stroke  seemed 
as  soft  and  tender  as  the  kiss  of  a  baby's  lips,  or 
the  touch  of  a  falling  leaf.  He  would  have  enjoyed 
the  exquisite  pain,  but  another  sound  denied  him 

130 


THE   SONG   OF  THE   LASH 

that  privilege.  It  was  a  far-off  voice.  It  counted 
—  counted  —  counted  —  with  damnable  iteration. 
What  was  it  counting?  that  beating,  hammering 
thing?  Count  —  beat  —  stroke!  The  whole  world 
grew  black  to  him.  The  vortex  rose  up  in  mighty 
waves,  and  overwhelmed  him.  He  drifted  away  in 
delicious  languor  —  to  sleep.  Was  it  sleep? 

There  was  a  sudden  awakening.  Something  sharp 
seemed  to  ring  in  the  hollow  of  his  fretted  ear  like  a 
blow,  like  the  high  piercing  note  of  a  silver  bell 
heard  in  the  still  night.  The  red  mist  wavered 
before  him  once  more.  What  was  that?  —  the  beat, 
the  count,  the  blows  —  again  !  The  short  respite 
had  brought  back  the  agony.  He  longed  to  shriek 
and  curse  and  blaspheme,  but  he  dimly  remembered 
that  for  some  reason  he  was  to  keep  his  lips  closed 
and  be  still. 

By  and  by  it  stopped  —  the  counting,  the  beating, 
the  lash,  which  had  screamed  like  an  evil  bird  of 
prey,  —  they  all  stopped.  An  appalling  silence  fell 
upon  him. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

The  Judgment  of  God 

HE  was  turned  about  and  supported.  The  blind 
ing  light  of  the  noonday  sun  fell  full  in  his 
face;  it  was  daytime,  then!  He  could  only  see 
•dimly  with  one  of  his  eyes.  He  staggered,  and 
would  have  fallen.  He  felt  himself  half  carried, 
half  dragged  forward,  and  placed  against  some  solid 
support.  Was  it  over? 

The  gentle  autumn  breeze  blew  across  his  face. 
Realization  began  to  come  to  him,  and  with  it  a 
wild  joy.  He  knew  now  that  he  had  been  beaten 
like  a  dog  —  nay,  as  no  dog  had  ever  been  beaten  — 
and  because  he  was  a  man,  and  not  a  beast,  he  had 
not  cried  out.  That  was  triumph,  surely. 

With  returning  mental  clearness  came  returning 
physical  consciousness.  The  fires  of  hell  were 
burning  upon  his  shoulders  now;  a  hideous  hot  iron 
seemed  to  be  turning  about  in  his  beaten  eye. 
God !  Was  there,  then,  a  God  ?  How  much  longer 
could  he  bear  it?  He  found  himself  mechanically 
clutching  wood  and  ropes,  and  looking  at  a  strange, 
curious  figure  seen  dimly  through  the  mists. 

A  figure  covered  with  blue  and  gold,  wearing  a  face 
handsome  and  mocking  —  a  sinister,  sneering  smile 
upon  his  lips.  The  face  of  a  god  and  the  smile 

132 


THE  JUDGMENT   OF   GOD 

of  a  devil.  He  stared,  fascinated  and  forgetting. 
It  was  a  strangely  familiar  sight.  Where  had  he 
seen  that  smiling  face?  What  was  it  smiling  at? 
And  then  another  sound  broke  upon  his  dulled  ear, 
followed  by  that  diabolical  whistling  sound;  the 
lash  was  singing  again,  yet  he  felt  no  blows.  What 
was  it?  A  young  voice,  high  and  shrill  —  with 
agony  —  despair  —  torture  —  in  its  notes,  —  a  remi 
niscent  voice.  It  clutched  at  his  heart  like  a  vise. 
Where  had  he  heard  that  voice  before  ? 

Ah,  it  came  back  to  him  with  a  mighty  rush  of 
recollection.  There  was  a  young  woman  lying  on  a 
bed  there  —  white-faced  and  still  —  and  clutching  at 
the  cold  breast  which  rose  and  fell  no  more,  a  baby's 
hand ;  the  child  cried  loud  and  shrill,  and  that  smil 
ing,  mocking  face  looked  on. 

The  picture  faded.  There  was  a  little  boy  play 
ing  about  his  knee  in  a  little  home;  the  still,  white- 
faced  woman  was  gone  forever;  they  were  alone 
save  for  that  insistent,  smiling  demon.  Then  before 
him  rose  a  garden,  overlooking  the  sea;  the  child 
was  older;  they  walked  side  by  side  —  with  that 
sneering  face  with  its  hellish  smile  between  them. 

They  sailed  together  on  the  sea;  the  child  a  man 
—  God  in  heaven  !  What  was  that  ?  That  shriek  ? 
Whose  was  that  bloody  figure?  What  ship  was 
this? 

The  man  awoke;  humanity  regained  the  upper 
hand  once  more,  the  man  witnessing  the  torture  of 
the  son  whom  he  had  loved  better  than  his  life. 
He  knew  what  that  terrible  whip  was  like  —  he  had 
just  received  its  caresses.  They  mistake  who  say 
that  it  is  only  mothers  who  love  their  children;  the 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

measure  of  love  for  humanity  lies  in  the  gift  of  a 
Father  who  sent  his  Son. 

The  man  straightened  out  his  arms  and  dragged 
himself  painfully  to  his  feet.  Strength  returned  to 
him.  He  heard  that  shriek  once  more,  and  in  the 
silence  a  low  mocking  laugh.  He  knew  it  now. 
The  ship  —  the  captain  —  he  was  the  chosen  instru 
ment.  "God  have  mercy  upon  us,"  he  whispered, 
starting  forward.  Like  the  blind  Samson  in  his 
hour  of  shame,  his  powers  came  back  to  him ;  God 
was  with  him. 

As  he  struggled  slowly  to  his  feet,  the  lieutenant 
commanding  the  marines  happened  to  glance  at  him. 
A  moment  before  Captain  Cunningham  had  stepped 
backward  toward  the  opening  in  the  bulwarks,  and, 
looking  at  the  hapless  father,  had  laughed,  sardoni 
cally,  a  third  time.  That  was  his  last  laugh. 

Before  he  realized  it,  a  blood-stained,  hideous 
figure,  its  lurid  face  seamed  and  welted,  with  one 
eye  gone  —  beaten  into  a  shapeless  pulp  —  but  with 
the  other  looking  hell  into  his  own  with  burning 
glance,  sprang  upon  him  like  a  storm.  Two  mighty 
arms  closed  about  him  like  a  vise,  crushing  the  life 
out  of  him  with  their  tremendous  pressure.  A 
bold  man  was  Captain  Cunningham,  and  a  hardy, 
but  the  spirit  went  out  of  him  then;  and  in  that 
fleeting  moment  he  lived  over  some  of  the  tortures 
he  had  inflicted  upon  his  helpless  fellow-men. 
Though  the  blood-boltered  lips  so  near  his  own 
made  no  sound,  a  voice  whispered  to  his  soul,  — 
"  Vengeance  is  wine  ;  I  will  repay." 

The  marine  officer,  as  Martin  sprang  upon  the 
captain,  seized  a  musket  from  the  man  next  him,  and 

134 


THE  JUDGMENT   OF   GOD 

hastily  giving  the  alarm,  pulled  the  trigger.  It  was 
too  late.  The  bullet  buried  itself  harmlessly  in  the 
mainmast.  No  one  dared  fire  again  for  fear  of  hit 
ting  the  captain. 

"Seize  him,  d — n  him,"  thickly  groaned  Cunning 
ham,  fumbling  weakly  for  his  sword.  They  were 
his  last  words.  The  dazed  officers  and  men  sprang 
at  the  two.  Bat  old  Martin  was  too  quick  for  them. 
Raising  the  captain  in  his  arms  like  a  child,  he 
leaped  with  him,  still  tightly  clasped  in  that  fearful 
embrace,  through  the  open  gangway.  A  little  rope 
looped  across  the  top  of  the  entrance  broke  like 
paper  —  they  were  gone  —  gone  forever  from  the 
sight  of  man.  A  rush  through  the  air,  a  sullen 
splash,  a  ripple  in  the  still  water,  a  few  bubbles  on 
the  surface  —  that  was  all. 


CHAPTER   XXII 
The  End  of  the  Gospel  of  Force 

"\/OUNG  Martin  was  not  made  of  the  strong  stuff 
i  of  his  indomitable  father.  He  had  received 
an  heritage  of  weakness  from  his  mother  which  had 
endeared  him  to  his  father's  iron  heart,  but  which 
ill-fitted  him  for  experiences  of  this  sort.  A  differ 
ent  ichor  filled  his  veins,  and  a  different  spirit  per 
vaded  his  body;  the  sight  of  his  father  during  and 
after  his  flogging  had  almost  undermined  his  cour 
age.  He  nervously  summoned  all  his  resolution, 
however,  and  it  was  not  until  the  fifth  lash  upon  his 
thin  and  delicate  shoulders  that  he  gave  way.  The 
terrible  shrieks  and  groans  to  which  he  gave  utter 
ance  had  added  the  last  touch  to  the  strain  upon  the 
overwrought  old  father,  who,  with  the  last  remnant 
of  his  vital  force,  had  extended  judgment  upon  the 
captain. 

From  the  time  old  Martin  rose  from  the  mast 
until  they  disappeared  beneath  the  water,  but  a  few 
seconds  had  elapsed. 

"Man  overboard!  Every  man  to  his  station," 
shouted  Jamieson,  recovering  himself  with  the 
promptitude  of  a  sailor,  as,  after  a  moment  of  hor 
rified  surprise,  the  men  came  crowding  aft.  "Mr. 
Swaim,  stand  by  with  the  marines.  Lay  aft  the 
crew  of  the  gig.  Jump  for  life,  men !  Overhaul  the 

136 


THE  END  OF  THE  GOSPEL  OF  FORCE 

falls  there.  Mr.  Price,  go  with  them.  Lower 
away. "  With  incredible  smartness  the  crew  of  the 
gig  of  the  dead  captain  tumbled  into  the  boat,  Lieu 
tenant  Price  took  command,  and  the  boat  dropped  to 
the  water,  and  darted  to  the  starboard  side,  where 
the  two  had  gone  overboard. 

"Ready!"  said  the  clear  voice  of  the  marine 
lieutenant,  Swaim.  "Take  aim!"  and  the  pieces  of 
the  marine  guard  came  up  to  the  shoulders,  cover 
ing  the  crew  with  military  precision.  The  crew,, 
who  had  perhaps  not  intended  any  mutinous  action, 
though  one  never  knows  what  would  happen  if  the 
iron  rule  of  discipline  were  for  a  moment  relaxed 
upon  an  English  ship,  were  at  once  cowed  by  this 
prompt  display  of  force,  and  settled  back  quietly  to 
their  stations  as  before.  But  the  long  moments 
wore  away,  and  the  captain  and  the  sailor  rose  no 
more  to  the  surface.  The  tragedy  was  complete. 
Justice  had  been  done.  Locked  in  each  other's 
arms,  they  drifted  out  to  the  sea;  and  it  may  be, 
that,  so  clasped,  they  stood  before  the  great  judg 
ment  seat,  each  to  plead  his  cause  in  person,  in  that 
final  day  when  the  king  and  the  captain  stand  on 
the  same  rigid  level  with  the  peasant  and  the  sailor, 
—  where  alone  humanity  finds  equal  justice  and 
impartiality,  for  there  alone  is  God. 

"Go  over  and  report  this  to  the  officer  command 
ing  the  squadron.  It's  useless  to  look  any  longer 
for  them,"  finally  called  out  Lieutenant  Jamieson  to 
the  officer  in  charge  of  the  boat  which  had  been 
rowed  carefully  about  the  ship.  "Meanwhile,  I  see 
no  reason  why  we  should  not  finish  the  punishment 
of  the  young  one.  Go  on,  bosun." 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

When  the  unfortunate  young  Martin  was  carried 
below,  after  he  had  received  one  hundred  and  fifty 
lashes,  his  constitution  and  nervous  system  had 
been  shattered  and  ruined  for  life.  He  was  delirious 
that  night,  and  for  several  nights  after;  and  when 
he  recovered,  he  was  like  a  harmless,  broken-spirited 
child,  mind  and  body  irreparably  wrecked. 

At  the  appointed  hour,  in  spite  of  what  had 
occurred,  the  sentence  of  the  court-martial  was 
carried  out  upon  the  remaining  prisoner;  and  the 
unfortunate  Badely,  shrieking  and  cursing,  and 
struggling  unavailingly  as  before,  was  run  up  to  the 
foreyard-arm,  where  he  slowly  choked  to  death,  and 
where  he  was  left  to  hang,  in  ghastly  warning,  until 
the  morning.  In  spite  of  his  horrid  death,  it  was 
hardly  to  be  doubted  that  Fate  had  been  more  merci 
ful  to  him  than  she  had  been  to  the  other  two. 

The  tale  of  Cunningham's  death  was  long  told  in 
both  services.  As  he  had  a  reputation  for  ferocity 
and  brutality  unequalled,  it  was  felt  that  there  was 
a  sort  of  rude  retributive  justice  in  the  manner 
of  his  taking  off. 

NOTE.  —  The  punishment  accorded  these  three  men  was  not 
considered  in  any  way  excessive,  as  desertion  to  the  enemy  and 
service  under  his  flag,  was  one  of  the  most  serious  breaches  of 
discipline.  As  to  flogging  in  general,  it  is  of  record,  that,  on 
a  ship  commanded  by  one  John  Surnam  Garden,  called  the 
Macedonian,  as  late  as  iSn,  a  man  received  three  hundred 
lashes  with  the  cat  in  two  different  instalments,  merely  for 
having  stolen  a  handkerchief,  and  that  in  despite  of  the  fact 
that  the  charge  was  not  clearly  proven  !  It  is  a  pleasure  to  add 
that  Garden  and  his  ship  were  captured  a  year  later  by  Decatur 
and  the  frigate  United  States. 

The  English  Navy  maintained  its  control  of  the  men  by  these 
138 


THE  END  OF  THE  GOSPEL  OF  FORCE 

and  other  severe  punishments.  It  had  not  been  so  long  since 
men  were  keel-hauled ;  that  is,  fastened  to  a  continuous  rope 
which  went  from  one  yard-arm  beneath  the  bottom  of  the  ship 
up  to  the  yard-arm  on  the  other  side,  the  unfortunate  subject 
being  dragged  from  one  side  to  the  other,  until  life  was  extinct. 
Men  had  been  spread-eagled  across  the  cut-water,  when  the  ship 
was  in  motion,  until  they  were  beaten  to  death  by  the  thrust  of 
the  ship  upon  the  waves. 

In  these  particulars,  England,  bad  as  she  was,  was  yet  more 
merciful  than  other  continental  nations.  In  the  United  States 
Navy,  keel-hauling  and  spread-eagling,  as  I  have  alluded  to 
them,  were  not  permitted,  and  the  use  of  the  cat  circumscribed 
by  severe  regulations.  While  there  were  undoubtedly  some 
brutal  and  tyrannical  officers  in  our  service,  the  number  was 
trifling;  and  as  opportunities  for  the  indulgence  of  their  pecu 
liar  proclivities  were  so  limited,  it  may  be  stated  that  there 
were  little  or  none  of  the  grosser  forms  of  cruelty  or  oppression 
in  the  service. 

In  ruling  her  men,  England,  and  the  rest  of  the  world  as  well, 
used  the  old  gospel  of  force,  while  America  used  the  new  gospel 
of  love.  I  do  not  mean  to  convey  the  idea  that  the  relation 
between  the  officers  and  men  of  the  American  men-of-war  was  a 
sentimental  one.  The  discipline  was  as  it  always  should  be, 
and  must  be  in  the  naval  service,  — stern  and  severe;  human 
beings  are  not  made  men  without  these  things.  And  the  obedi 
ence  exacted  was  prompt  and  unquestioned,  but  the  severity 
was  tempered  with  mercy.  The  officers  were  considerate  and 
careful,  just  and  humane,  to  their  crews  to  a  remarkable  extent 
in  those  ruder  days ;  while  the  crews  repaid  them  in  almost 
every  instance  with  a  degree  of  devotion  and  attachment,  which 
conduced  greatly  to  the  remarkable  efficiency  of  the  service. 
The  honorable  history  of  the  United  States  Navy  is  disgraced 
by  no  record  of  mutiny  induced  by  oppression,  and  the  same 
cannot  be  said  of  any  other  nation. 

There  was  every  reason  in  the  world  why  the  American  ships 
should  win  when  matched  against  English  ships  in  equal  single 
combat.  Some  of  the  reasons  have  been  stated,  but  the  great 
est  of  them  all  lay  in  this :  that  the  gospel  of  love,  even  though 
it  be  ever  so  lamely  exhibited,  —  and  on  a  ship-of-war  at  that,  — 
in  the  long  run  always  triumphs  over  the  gospel  of  force,  be  it 

139 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

ever  so  fiercely  proclaimed.  Flogging  has  been  entirely  abol 
ished  in  the  United  States  Navy  since  the  middle  of  the  cen 
tury,  and  in  all  other  civilized  navies  as  well. 

The  English  sailor  is  treated  as  well  as  his  American  brother. 
The  cat-o'-nine-tails  has  become  archaic,  and  is  now  relegated  to 
the  collection  of  the  curiosity  seeker  with  the  rack  and  the 
thumbscrew. 


IV 
A   DASH    FOR   FREEDOM 


141 


CHAPTER   XXIII 
Captain  Fairford  Takes  Command 

SHORTLY  after  sunset  the  rain  began  to  come 
down  heavily  and  continuously,  with  ever- 
increasing  force,  beating  upon  the  decks  of  the 
ships,  and  lashing  the  face  of  the  water  into  foam ; 
the  wind  rose  until  it  blew  a  half  gale,  and  the 
night  fell  dark  and  stormy.  The  ships  strained  and 
tugged  at  their  anchors  with  restless  uneasiness. 
Inasmuch  as  the  only  naval  force  irf  the  bay,  Com 
modore  Barney's  gunboats,  had  been  destroyed,  and 
the  commodore  himself  desperately  wounded,  and 
with  the  larger  part  of  his  seamen  taken  prisoners 
after  a  most  gallant  defence  (the  only  defence 
worthy  of  the  name  there)  at  the  battle  of  Bladens- 
burg,  where  they  had  efficiently  served  a  heavy 
battery,  the  anchor  watches  upon  the  Narragansett, 
and  upon  the  other  ships  as  well,  which  were  charged 
with  looking  after  their  welfare,  were  negligent  and 
careless  in  the  extreme. 

The  three  large  bateaux,  crowded  with  the  mem 
bers  of  the  picked  crew,  whom  Fairford  had  brought 
with  him,  were  able,  favored  by  the  darkness  of  the 
night,  and  by  the  wind  which  blew  down  the  bay, 
and  the  tide  just  beginning  to  ebb,  to  pass  by  the  two 
larger  ships  and  approach  the  Narragansett  unde- 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE  SEA 

tected.  To  bring  the  boats  alongside  without  attract 
ing  attention  was  an  operation  that  required  the 
nicest  skill.  In  this  instance  their  efforts  were 
•attended  with  perfect  success.  Fairford,  who  com 
manded  the  largest  boat,  brought  to  upon  the  after 
cable;  the  second  boat,  commanded  by  Ludlow,  the 
only  other  officer  in  the  party,  fastened  upon  the 
forward  cable;  while  the  third,  intrusted  to  the 
guidance  of  that  tried  and  veteran  seaman,  Rhodes, 
swung  gently  alongside  the  starboard  gangway. 

"Wouldn't  a  cracked  a  eggshell  with  that  'ere 
touch,"  muttered  old  Joseph,  complacently,  under 
his  breath,  as  he  waited  for  the  time  to  go  aboard. 

It  had  been  arranged  that  Fairford  and  his  men 
should  board  from  the  stern  first;  the  other  two  boat 
crews  were  to  remain  in  their  boats  for  a  short  time, 
or  until  they  had  slowly  counted  a  hundred,  when 
they  were  to  come  aboard  from  their  positions  with 
a  rush,  though  with  as  little  noise  as  possible,  to  pre 
vent  the  alarm  being  given.  When  they  got  aboard 
each  party  had  received  definite  instructions  as  to 
what  it  was  to  do.  Even  if  successful,  they  could 
hope  for  only  a  few  moments  of  time  before  they 
were  seen  from  the  other  ships,  and  the  quickest 
kind  of  work  would  be  necessary  if  they  were  to  get 
the  Narragansett  away. 

Nothing  avoidable  had  been  left  to  chance.  All 
the  members  of  the  cutting-out  expedition,  with  the 
exception  of  the  officers  and  the  boatswain's  mates, 
had  been  deprived  of  their  pistols,  and  were  armed 
only  with  cutlasses  which  had  been  sharpened  to 
razor  edge.  The  cutlass  was  a  more  silent  weapon 
than  the  pistol  at  close  quarters,  and  almost  as  sure, 

144 


CAPTAIN   FAIRFORD   TAKES   COMMAND 

The  men  were  all  barefoot,  and  for  recognition  in 
the  darkness,  by  the  captain's  direction,  each  one 
had  tied  a  white  handkerchief  about  his  head. 

There  was,  as  usual,  a  Jacob's  ladder  depending 
from  the  stern  of  the  ship  on  either  side.  Fairford 
waited  the  appointed  time,  or  until  he  was  sure  the 
other  boats  were  at  their  stations.  After  having 
detailed  two  men  to  act  as  boat-keepers,  at  the  last 
moment  he  appointed  two  others  to  remain  on  the 
Jacob's  ladders,  abreast  the  stern  windows  of  the 
after  cabin,  with  particular  instructions  to  be  fol 
lowed  out  in  case  of  a  certain  emergency.  Then, 
taking  off  his  boots  in  the  boat,  and  taking  his 
sword  between  his  teeth,  after  giving  a  last  whis 
pered  caution  to  his  men  to  make  no  noise,  he 
climbed  softly  up  the  ladder,  followed  by  the  men. 

They  soon  gained  the  poop-deck  of  the  unprotected 
frigate.  In  the  thick  darkness  they  could  not  see 
a  soul  upon  her  decks.  There  was  a  faint  light 
streaming  out  from  the  hatch  of  the  captain's  cabin 
beneath  their  feet;  and  as  Fairford  cautiously 
looked  through  the  glass,  he  saw  several  officers 
sitting  about  the  table,  Sir  James  Heathcote  among 
them,  to  his  great  surprise,  all  engaged  in  earnest 
conversation.  Quietly  signalling  to  the  bulk  of  his 
party  to  remain  in  readiness  where  they  were  until 
called,  he  descended  to  the  main-deck,  followed  by 
several  of  the  older  men,  cutlasses  in  hand,  and 
stopped  at  the  starboard  gangway  to  meet  the  boat 
swain's  mate,  who,  with  his  party,  was  soon  stand 
ing  upon  the  deck  beside  him. 

The  only  Englishmen  upon  the  deck  were  the  two 
men  of  the  anchor  watch,  who  were  standing  on  the 
10  MS 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

topgallant  forecastle  in  the  lee  of  the  foremast. 
They  were  much  astonished  when  powerful  hands, 
suddenly,  and  without  warning,  seized  them  from 
behind.  Turning  in  quick  surprise  to  see  what  was 
the  matter,  before  either  of  them  could  cry  out  or 
give  the  alarm,  one  was  promptly  choked  into 
insensibility  by  the  firm  grasp  of  Fairford's  sinewy 
hands  about  his  throat,  and  the  other,  receiving  the 
knotty  fist  of  the  boatswain's  mate  full  in  the  face, 
backed  by  all  the  force  of  that  doughty  gentleman's 
arm,  fell  like  a  log  to  the  deck.  So  far  the  boarders 
had  wonderful  luck.  Ludlow's  men  were  signalled 
to,  and  now  came  pouring  over  the  bow.  The  young 
captain  spoke  hurriedly:  — 

"  Rhodes,  take  a  dozen  of  your  men  to  the  gun 
deck,  and  cover  the  hatches  securely  to  restrain  the 
crew.  Mr.  Ludlow,  detail  some  of  yours  to  secure 
those  who  are  quartered  in  the  forecastle.  Fasten 
the  sliding  doors  and  the  hatches,  if  you  can,  and  do 
not  allow  the  crew  to  be  awakened,  if  avoidable.  I 
will  attend  to  the  wardroom  and  cabin.  You  will 
take  the 'deck  until  I  return.  Send  men  aloft  to 
loose  the  three  topsails  and  the  foresail,  and  get 
.the  ship  underway.  While  the  others  are  making 
sail,  do  you  cut  the  cables  and  slip  away.  Let 
the  boats  go  adrift."  All  this,  which  was  but  a  re 
hearsal  of  previous  directions,  was  said  in  a  hurried 
whisper. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  responded  Ludlow  and  Rhodes,  as 
the  captain  ran  aft,  and  the  men,  perfectly  under 
standing  the  orders  and  their  duties,  quickly  sprang 
to  their  appointed  tasks.  But  the  presence  of  nearly 
one  hundred  men  upon  the  decks  of  the  ship,  in 

146 


CAPTAIN   FAIRFORD  TAKES   COMMAND 

spite  of  the  noise  of  the  rain,  and  every  other  pre 
caution  they  had  taken  —  and  the  seamen  had  movedi 
about  as  quietly  as  cats  —  attracted  the  attention  of 
some  of  the  older  British  seamen  forward,  and  they 
sprang  from  their  hammocks  with  a  vague  sense  of 
uneasiness,  to  see  what  had  occurred.  When  they 
found  the  berth-deck  hatches  covered,  and  the  slid 
ing  doors  in  the  forecastle  fastened,  barring  their 
escape  from  their  quarters,  they  immediately  realized 
that  something  was  wrong,  and  began  to  pound  on. 
the  doors  and  hatch  covers  with  their  fists,  and 
immediately  awakened  the  other  sleepers  with  their 
hasty  cries. 

Some  of  Ludlow's  men,  in  the  meanwhile,  had 
entered  the  wardroom  by  the  companion  hatch,  and 
as  the  officers  in  their  berths  awofce  in  the  confu 
sion,  each  one  found  himself  guarded  by  a  resolute 
sailor  with  a  drawn  cutlass,  who  commanded  him  to- 
lie  still  if  he  valued  his  life.  All  of  them  lay  still. 
At  the  same  moment  Fairford  entered  the  cabin,, 
followed  by  the  remainder  of  his  men. 

"Gentlemen,"  he  said  to  the  astonished  officers, 
"you  are  my  prisoners." 

"Who  are  you,  sir?  "  cried  Jamieson,  starting  up, 
while  Sir  James  threw  up  his  hands  in  amazement, 
and  exclaimed,  — 

"  Mr.  Fairford  !     How  came  you  here  ?  " 

"My  government,"  responded  Fairford,  smiling 
grimly,  "appointed  me  captain  of  this  ship,  and  I 
am  come  to  take  command.  I  hope  I  find  you  well, 
Sir  James? " 

At  this  moment,  after  a  quick  look  of  intelli 
gence  between  Jamieson  and  another  officer,  each 

M7 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

one  sprang  at  the  after-cabin  window  nearest  him. 
Jamieson  threw  open  the  sash  and  called  loudly,  — • 

"  Ahoy  the  —  " 

He  never  finished  the  sentence,  for  a  bullet  from 
Fairford's  pistol  silenced  him  forever.  The  other 
officer,  as  the  Americans  rushed  around  the  table 
toward  him,  seeing  the,  fate  of  his  superior,  made  no 
attempt  to  cry  out,  hoping  to  save  a  shot;  but, 
jumping  upon  the  transom,  tore  open  the  sash,  and 
endeavored  to  leap  through  the  port,  trusting  that  if 
he  could  once  get  into  the  water  he  could  escape  in 
the  darkness,  or,  in  any  event,  give  the  alarm. 
But  the  sailor  outside,  upon  the  Jacob's  ladder,  who 
had  been  stationed  there  in  anticipation  of  this  very 
contingency,  and  whose  attention  had  been  attracted 
by  the  report  of  the  pistol,  was  ready  for  the  man. 

He  was  not  placed  conveniently  for  striking;  but, 
as  he  saw  the  officer's  head  and  shoulders  silhouetted 
against  the  brilliant  light  of  the  window,  his  arm 
shortened,  and  he  drove  the  cutlass  home  in  the 
side  of  the  man's  neck.  Almost  before  his  pursuers 
reached  him,  the  Englishman's  muscles  relaxed, 
and  he  fell  limply  across  the  transom,  half  in  -and 
half  out  of  the  port,  blood  pouring  from  his  wounds. 
In  a  few  seconds  he  was  dead.  The  other  officers 
had  been  roughly  seized  by  the  excited  sailors,  and 
Fairford  was  now  master  of  the  ship. 

"Sir  James,"  he  said  to  that  gentleman,  "what 
are  you  doing  here?" 

"  I  am  going  back  to  England." 

"Not  on  this  ship  —  if  I  know  it,"  answered 
-Pairford. 

"  Won't  you  set  me  ashore,  then?  " 
u.8 


CAPTAIN   FAIRFORD   TAKES  COMMAND 

"I  must  get  away  first.  I  am  rather  pressed  for 
time,  you  see,"  was  the  reply. 

At  this  moment  the  door  of  trie  port  cabin  opened, 
and  Evelyn  Heathcote,  who  had  been  awakened  by 
the  shot  and  the  confusion,  came  forth  into  the 
light,  arrayed  in  a  white  dressing-robe. 

"Good  heavens,  a  woman  !  Miss  Heathcote!  Is 
she  aboard  as  well?  "  exclaimed  Fairford  in  astonish 
ment  and  dismay;  and  then,  mindful  of  the  duties 
devolving  upon  him,  while  a  frightened  shriek  burst 
from  the  startled  English  girl  as  she  saw  the  dead 
body  of  Jamieson  at  her  feet,  he  rushed  back  to  the 
deck. 

The  hatches  which  confined  the  *men  below  had 
been  opened  a  little,  and  a  few  vigorous  threats 
from  the  boatswain's  mate  to  the  effect  that  their 
captors  would  open  fire  if  the  prisoners  did  not  keep 
silent  had  the  effect  of  quieting  them.  The  shrouds 
were  shaking  under  the  feet  of  the  men  swarming 
aloft  to  make  sail;  but  the  noise  and  confusion  had, 
of  course,  grown  louder  and  louder  with  every  pass 
ing  moment,  and  Jamieson's  hail  and  Fairford's 
shot  had  at  last  attracted  the  attention  of  the  men 
upon  the  other  ships.  The  boat-keepers  in  the 
bateaux  had  hastily  passed  on  board  the  things 
which  had  been  left  with  them  when  the  attack 
began ;  the  cables  were  cut,  the  boats  cast  off,  and 
the  ship  began  to  drift  slowly  out  with  the  ebb 
tide. 

At  this  moment  a  voice  from  the  large  frigate 
hailed.  No  answer  to  this  hail  was  made  on  the 
Narragansett.  A  moment  later  the  flapping  of  the 
heavy  canvas  above  them  showed  that  the  men  aloft 

149 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"had  accomplished  their  task.  They  had  loosed  sail 
with  incredible  swiftness,  in  the  emergency,  not 
taking  time  to  cast  off  the  gaskets,  but  had  cut 
them  with  their  sheath  knives.  Suddenly  a  bright 
flare  was  made  on  the  forecastle  of  the  English 
frigate. 

The  light  from  some  inflammable  substance  plainly 
discovered  the  situation  of  the  Narragansett.  Sharp 
words  of  command  were  heard  instantly  from  both 
of  the  English  ships,  followed  by  the  rapid  roll  of 
their  drums  calling  their  crews  to  quarters.  Their 
cables  were  cut  at  once,  and  a  shift  of  the  helm,  as 
the  larger  one  slowly  gathered  way,  brought  the  bow 
guns  to  bear  on  the  Narragansett,  and  the  roar  of 
their  discharge  broke  the  stillness  of  the  night.  All 
necessity  for  secrecy  and  quietness  was,  of  course, 
at  an  end. 

"Down  from  aloft !  Down  for  your  lives,  men!" 
shouted  Fairford.  "  Lead  along  the  main  topsail 
halyards;  man  the  sheets;  jump,  my  hearties; 
hands  by  the  foresheets  there;  overhaul  the  brails 
forward;  tend  the  braces;  sheet  home;  hoist 
away ! " 

The  crew,  making  up  in  zeal  and  excitement  for 
what  they  lacked  in  numbers,  soon  mastheaded  the 
ponderous  yard,  the  sheets  were  hauled  home,  the 
foresail  came  down  with  a  run.  Next  they  tailed  on 
to  the  gear  of  the  fore  and  mizzen  topsails,  then  of 
the  spanker  and  jib,  and  finally  of  the  main  topgal 
lant  sail.  The  wind  was  already  blowing  a  half 
gale,  growing  stronger  with  every  moment;  and 
though  the  royal  yards  were  not  crossed,  it  was 
doubtful  if  she  could  have  borne  even  the  other  top- 


CAPTAIN   FAIRFORD   TAKES   COMMAND 

gallant  sails,  or  whether  much  would  have  been 
added  thereby  to  her  speed. 

By  Fairford's  direction,  every  light  was  at  once 
extinguished,  and  the  Narragansett,  having  obtained 
a  good  start,  soon  disappeared  from  the  view  of  her 
pursuers,  who  had  ceased  firing,  and  made  sail  with 
surprising  swiftness.  Though  the  British  had  lost 
sight  of  the  chase,  they  knew  she  must  continue 
down  the  bay,  and  they  hoped  either  to  overhaul  her 
speedily,  or  else  drive  her  into  the  hands  of  those 
British  ships  which  were  always  cruising  about  the 
mouth  of  the  bay. 

So  far  Fairford  had  been  favoi*ed  in  the  most 
extraordinary  way  by  good  fortune ;  but  his  chances 
of  escape,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  were  about 
one  in  a  thousand.  In  an  undermanned  ship,  with 
more  prisoners  than  his  own  crew  numbered,  totally 
unfamiliar  with  the  ship  itself  and  her  plan,  shut  up 
in  enclosed  waters,  filled  with  ships  of  the  enemy, 
his  undertaking  was,  indeed,  desperate,  and  the 
prospect  of  success  a  dark  one.  .Matched  against 
these  odds  were  the  indomitable  nature  of  the  young 
sailor,  — his  rare  skill,  the  ability  and  experience  of 
Ludlow,  his  second  in  command,  the  devotion  of 
her  crew,  the  reputed  sailing  capacity  of  the  new 
Narragansett,  her  bottom  clean  from  the  shipyard, 
his  own  knowledge  of  the  bay,  and  his  own  resolu 
tion  not  to  be  captured.  When  an  unexpected, 
though  apparently  a  feeble  ally,  was  thrown  into  the 
balance,  like  the  mouse  which  gnawed  the  net 
restraining  the  lion,  in  the  prospect  before  them 
appeared  a  slight  gleam  of  hope. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

A  Letter  and  its  Answer 

ALOW  fire,  to  dispel  the  dampness  of  the  rainy 
night,  was  burning  upon  the  broad  hearth  of 
the  little  reception-room  opening  out  of  the  great 
hall  in  Colonel  Barrett's  house.  The  colonel  him 
self  was  seated  in  his  great  arm-chair  near  the  table, 
upon  which  a  pair  of  lighted  candelabra  were  stand 
ing.  He  was  dressed  with  his  usual  care,  though  he 
looked  older  and  thinner  than  the  night  of  the  duel. 
He  was  reading  from  a  ponderous  tome,  and  his 
right  foot,  swathed  in  bandages  until  it  looked  pre- 
ternaturally  huge  in  the  flickering  firelight,  was 
extended  upon  a  rest  before  him. 

It  was  very  late,  but  the  colonel  could  not  sleep, 
and  his  daughter  was  keeping  him  company.  The 
colonel  had  the  gout,  and,  like  every  other  indi 
vidual  afHicted  with  that  painful  disease,  he  en 
deavored  to  console  himself  with  the  reflection  that 
it  was  the  most  aristocratic  of  ailments.  No  great 
degree  of  comfort  did  he  find  in  this  consideration, 
""however,  and  it  was  only  by  the  exercise  of  the  most 
intense  self-control  that  he  refrained  from  crying 
out. 

The  colonel  was  a  gentleman  of  culture,  and  a 
devoted  Churchman  as  well ;  but  when  the  pangs 


A   LETTER  AND   ITS  ANSWER 

became  unbearably  excessive,  his  habits  of  speech 
reverted  to  the  days  of  the  past,  when  he  had  been  a 
soldier,  and  a  muttered  oath  escaped  him.  It  would 
be  a  mild  sort  of  oath,  as  oaths  go, —  if  any  oaths  evdr 
can  be  called  mild,  — but  whenever  it  broke  from  his 
lips  he  glanced  at  his  daughter,  who  sat  opposite 
him  in  a  low  chair,  with  a  small  leather  box,  in 
which  she  kept  her  most  precious  treasures,  lying 
on  her  lap. 

When  she  heard  the  infrequent  ejaculations,  her 
gray  eyes  would  look  reproachfully  at  him,  until  a 
feeling  of  shame  pervaded  his  heart^  which  was  just 
as  inefficacious,  by  the  way,  as  had  been  his  former 
reflections  in  subduing  the  pain.  He  would  shake 
his  head  mournfully,  make  a  new  resolution,  and  go 
back  to  his  book. 

Margaret  was  indulging  in  idle  dreams.  The 
subject  of  her  thought  was,  of  course,  the  sailor 
whom  she  deemed  far  away. 

It  was  so  long  since  she  had  seen  him,  and  they 
had  parted  in  anger.  How  handsome  he  looked  in 
his  uniform  that  day,  at  the  end  of  the  porch,  as  he 
stood  bareheaded  before  her,  the  sunlight  falling 
upon  his  sunny,  curly  hair.  How  he  quivered  upon 
his  foot  before  he  turned  away!  But  what  an 
imperious  monster  he  had  been  the  night  before; 
how  she  hated  to  be  domineered  by  anybody  —  much 
less  a  man  —  yet  if  Blake  would  only  come  back 
again;  if  she  could  only  see  him  once  more  —  was 
there  not  something  about  obey  in  the  marriage 
service  ?  Of  course  they  were  not  married,  —  she 
blushed  hotly  at  the  very  thought  of  her  heart,  — 
they  were  not  married  then,  anyhow,  and  how  mean 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

it  had  been  of  him  to  insist,  before  them  all,  in  that 
regal  way.  How  did  he  expect  her  to  know  the  de 
tails  of  that  waltz? 

It  was  a  hateful  dance,  she  thought,  at  the  same 
time  beginning  to  hum  the  air,  and  unconsciously  to 
tap  the  floor  with  her  foot,  in  time;  but  she  would 
teach  it  to  Blake  when  —  was  there  ever  going  to  be 
a  when,  she  wondered  ?  She  opened  the  box  softly, 
she  was  such  a  foolish  little  thing,  she  thought,  and 
looked  within  it  for  the  hundredth  time  that  day  — 
as  usual.  There  were  a  dozen  or  more  brief  letters 
in  Fairford's  big,  bold  hand.  Nice,  brotherly  letters 
they  were,  too.  Pshaw!  she  didn't  want  to  be  his 
sister  at  all ! 

There  was  a  red  rose,  dried  and  faded,  which  he 
had  refused  to  take  from  her  hand ;  also  there  was  a 
little  sunny  curl  tied  with  a  ribbon  of  navy  blue. 
What  a  fool  she  was  !  Not  like  the  proud  and  stately 
Evelyn  Heathcote,  whose  going  away  that  day  had 
been  such  a  heartbreak  to  her.  Evelyn  was  so 
calm  and  contented  —  but,  then,  Evelyn  knew  she 
was  loved ;  that  made  all  the  difference  in  the 
world.  She  was  such  a  splendid  girl,  and  so  beau 
tiful,  how  was  it  that  Blakely  had  not  fallen  in  love 
with  her?  There  came  a  piteous  tug  at  the  poor 
little  heartstrings.  Perhaps  he  had! 

She  heaved  a  long  sigh,  and  her  eyes  suffused 
with  tears.  At  this  moment  a  particularly  vicious 
twinge  caused  the  colonel  to  raise  his  eyes  from  his 
book.  Something  in  the  despondent  attitude  of  the 
limp  little  figure  before  him  attracted  his  attention. 

"Da —  confound  this  infernal  foot,"  he  broke  out. 
"What's  the  matter  with  you,  Margaret?  You 


A  LETTER  AND   ITS  ANSWER 

look  as  if  you  had  lost  your  last  friend ;  and  what  is 
that  little  leather  box  which  I  see  in  your  hand  so 
much,  any  way?  It  seems  to  me  —  " 

But  the  colonel  never  finished  the  sentence.  He 
was  interrupted ;  there  was  a  strange  sound  outside 
upon  the  porch,  —  a  sound  as  of  some  one  crawling 
and  dragging  something.  During  a  brief  pause  in  the 
rain-storm  they  heard,  quite  plainly,  a  feeble  voice 
crying,  — 

"Ahoy  the  house!     Ahoy!     Help!     Help!" 

"Some  one  in  trouble,  I  suppose,"  said  Margaret, 
as  she  sprang  to  her  feet.  * 

"Those  confounded  British  again,"  exclaimed  the 
colonel,  wrathfully.  "  I  suppose  it  will  be  our  turn 
now  since  Sir  James  Heathcote  has  gone.  They 
have  ravaged  every  other  plantation  on  the  bay  long 
since.  Pull  the  bell  yonder,  daughter. " 

As  the  old  negro  house-servant  made  his  appear 
ance  in  answer  to  the  summons,  a  feeble  knock, 
which  seemed  to  come  from  the  floor  in  front  of  the 
'hall  door,  was  heard,  followed  by  the  sound  of  a 
sudden  collapse  against  it. 

"Go  to  the  door,  Cicero,  there's  some  one  out 
there,"  commanded  the  colonel. 

The  negro,  who,  with  others  of  his  class,  lived  in 
a  constant  state  of  apprehension  on  account  of  the 
danger  they  were  in  from  British  marauding  parties, 
hesitated  a  moment;  his  face  showed  his  fear,  but 
the  habit  of  obedience  was  still  strong  upon  him, 
and  he  turned  to  comply  with  the  directions  he  had 
received.  Margaret,  who  had  observed  his  terror, 
reassured  him  by  following  him  out  into  the  hall, 
saying,  — 

155 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

"Don't  be  alarmed,  Uncle  Cis.  I  will  take  care 
of  you. " 

When  the  door  was  thrown  open,  Cicero,  in  spite 
of  his  powerful  ally,  jumped  back  in  consternation, 
as  a  wet,  bedraggled  form,  which  had  been  propped 
against  the  door,  fell  prone  at  his  feet. 

"  Good  Gord,  wha  —  wha  —  wha  's  dat  ?  It's  a  daid 
man,"  he  added,  after  a  pause,  his  teeth  chattering 
with  terror,  as  he  started  back. 

"  It 's  only  a  man,  anyway,  Cicero,  —  what  are  you 
afraid  of?"  replied  Margaret,  calmly;  "drag  him 
into  the  hall  and  close  the  door.  He  is  dead,  or, 
possibly,  he  has  only  fainted." 

Obeying  his  mistress'  command,  the  man  was 
soon  laid  upon  the  floor  of  the  hall.  The  reassured 
Cicero  knelt  down  by  him,  and  laid  his  ear  near  his 
heart,  which  was  feebly  beating. 

"He  ain't  daid  yit,  Miss  Margit." 

"  What  is  it,  Margaret  ?  "  called  out  the  colonel's 
voice. 

"  It 's  a  man,  father.     He  seems  to  have  fainted." 

"Bring  him  in  here,  Cicero.  Call  Tullius  to 
help  you." 

"Yas,  suh.     You,  Tullius,  come  heah." 

The  colonel  was  a  classic  scholar,  and  the  great 
Roman  orator  was  one  of  his  favorites;  therefore  his 
valet  was  called  Marcus,  and  his  butler  and  footman 
rejoiced,  severally,  under  the  remaining  portions  of 
the  name. 

"  Lay  him  down  upon  the  rug  before  the  fire. 
Here  's  the  key  to  the  sideboard.  Tell  Marcus  to 
bring  me  that  bottle  of  old  French  cognac,  quick! 
Now,  Margaret,  give  him  this,"  added  the  colonel, 

156 


A   LETTER  AND   ITS  ANSWER 

as  his  commands  were  obeyed,  pouring  a  draught 
from  the  bottle  handed  to  him  by  the  servant. 

It  was  quite  evident,  from  his  dress,  that  the  man 
lying  on  the  floor  was  a  seafaring  man.  He  wore 
broad,  long-flowing  trousers,  a  loose  blue  shirt  with 
wide  collar  open  at  the  throat,  a  short  jacket,  and  a 
belt  with  the  cutlass  and  pistol  still  attached.  His 
face  was  scratched  and  torn,  as  if  from  contact  with 
bushes,  his  clothing  soaked,  and  his  hands  and  face 
covered  with  mud.  As  Margaret  poured  the  fiery 
stimulant  down  his  throat,  he  opened  his  eyes,  and 
with  the  true  instinct  of  a  sailor,  Ss  he  tasted  the 
burning  liquor,  the  like  of  which  for  quality  had 
probably  never  before  touched  his  lips,  he  gave  vent 
to  one  expressive  word,  — 

"  More ! " 

"Give  him  another,"  said  the  colonel.  When  he 
had  received  it,  with  a  sigh  of  blissful  content  he 
lifted  himself,  slowly,  to  a  sitting  position,  and, 
supporting  himself  on  his  hands,  blinked  curiously 
about  him.  He  then  attempted  to  draw  up  his 
legs,  preparatory  to  getting  upon  his  feet.  As  he 
did  so,  his  face  whitened  with  pain,  and  he  sank 
back  upon  the  floor,  while  a  muttered  oath  escaped 
his  clenched  teeth. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,"  said  the  colonel, 
smiling,  with  evident  sympathy, — "have  you  the 
gout  also? " 

"Gout,  sir?  No,  sir,  but  a  shot  from  them 
British,  sir,  carried  away  my  left  leg.  It 's  broke 
short  off  at  the  cat-harpins,  an'  I  can't  carry  sail  on 
it  no  more  —  but  beggin'  your  pardin,  sir,  I  've  got 
to  go  on.  I  've  got  to  find  Colonel  Barrett,  a  railing- 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

tary  gent  what  lives  in  these  parts.  Can  ye  give 
me  his  bearin's,  sir?" 

As  Margaret  started,  the  colonel  silenced  her  by 
a  wave  of  the  hand.  He  would  inquire  further  of 
this  seafaring  person  before  he  disclosed  himself  in 
these  uncertain  times. 

"  What  do  you  want  him  for?  " 

"  I  've  got  a  message  for  him  —  but  beggin'  your 
pardon,  sir,  I  must  heave  ahead.  I  'm  too  late  as  it 
is  now,  but  with  this  da  —  da  —  askin'  your  pardon 
again,  sir  —  an'  the  young  lady's  —  this  consarned 
leg  draggin'  astern  of  me,  I  don't  know  how  I  'm 
ever  to  find  him." 

"  What  is  your  name,  my  man  ? " 

"  George  Spicer,  sir,  captain  of  the  foretop  on  the 
frigate  Narragansett,  Cap'n  Fairford —  leastways,  I 
will  be,  after  we  cut  her  out  to-night,"  he  added. 

"Father,"  cried  Margaret,  in  great  excitement, 
"it  is  a  messenger  from  Blakely.  He  intends  to 
capture  that  ship  anchored  in  the  bay  to-night. 
Don't  you  see? " 

"  Lord  love  ye,  miss,  so  he  is.  However  did  you 
find  it  out?"  said  the  astonished  sailor. 

"  We  thought  he  was  in  Maine,  but  he  must  have 
come  down  here,  father.  Is  he  well?  Where  is  he 
now,  Mr.  Spicer?"  continued  the  girl. 

"Don't  call  me  mister,  lady.  I  ain't  no  mister. 
Just  plain  George  Spicer;  I  am  —  " 

"My  man,"  said  the  colonel,  impatiently,  "if  you 
have  any  message,  out  with  it.  I  am  Colonel 
Barrett." 

"  Lord,  now,  be  ye  ? "  said  Master  Spicer,  in 
great  surprise;  "then  I've  got  something  mor 'n  a 

158 


A  LETTER   AND   ITS  ANSWER 

message  for  ye,"  he  added,  pulling  from  the  bosom 
of  his  frock  a  letter  enclosed  in  an  oilskin  packet, 
which  Tullius  handed  to  the  colonel.  Tearing  open 
the  oilskin  and  the  envelope,  after  first  identifying 
Fairford's  well-known  seal  on  the  outside,  the 
Colonel  handed  it  to  his  daughter. 

"Read  it,  Margaret;  it  must  be  of  importance." 
As  Margaret  recognized  the  familiar  handwriting, 
her  heart  gave  a  great  bound.  A  wave  of  joy  had 
overwhelmed  her  when  the  realization  of  her  lover's 
nearness  had  been  brought  home  to  her,  from  which 
she  was  still  trembling;  but  as  she  read  on  the 
color  faded  out  of  her  cheeks,  and  when  she  had 
finished  the  brief  note  she  laid  it  upon  the  table 
with  a  long  sigh  of  terror. 

"Read  it  aloud,"  said  the  colonel,  impatiently; 
and,  as  she  obeyed  him,  this  is  what  the  letter 
said :  — 

My  dear  Colonel,  —  /  am  engaged  in  a  very  des 
perate  and  secret  undertaking  to-night  for  our  beloved 
country.  You  may  -depend  upon  George  Spicer,  the 
man  who  brings  you  this,  as  a  trusty  and  faithful  fellow. 
I  ask  you  to  give  him  a  horse,  and  a  good  one,  though 
you  may  never  see  it  again,  and  a  guide  as  well,  for  a 
purpose  which  he  will  explain  to  you. 

For  God 's  sake,  as  you  love  our  cause,  give  him  this 
assistance  at  whatever  cost.  Though  this  last  is  a 
small  matter,  I  will  add  that  my  life  and  liberty  as 
well,  probably  depend  upon  your  action.  My  love  and 
duty  to  Margaret.  No  more. 

In  haste,  your  affectionate  kinsman, 

Blakely  Fitzhugh  Fairford* 
159 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"Oho!"  said  the  colonel,  his  face  lightening  as  a 
soldier's  might  before  a  coming  battle,  "some 
thing's  up.  Well,  what  is  it,  my  man?" 

"Why,  sir,  Cap'n  Fairford  is  goin'  to  cut  out  the 
Narragansett  where  she  rides  at  her  anchors  below 
here,  to-night.  He  told  me  to  tell  you  he  was  goin' 
to  get  away  about  six  bells  —  eleven  o'clock,  if  he 
succeeds. " 

"  It 's  half  after  that  now,"  ejaculated  the  colonel, 
looking  at  the  clock.  "Go  on." 

"Then  he's  goin'  to  head  down  the  bay  for  them 
three  —  three  —  dash  it  all,  beggin'  your  pardon,  sir, 
I  forgit  the  name." 

"Three  Moaning  Sisters'  Islands,"  suggested 
Margaret.  "Go  on." 

"Thankee,  miss,  that's  it;  them  's  the  place,  an' 
he  thinks  he'll  reach  there  by  three  bells  in  the 
mid  watch  —  " 

"Half -past  one  o'clock,"  said  the  colonel;  "go 
on,  go  on." 

"  He  wants  to  run  in  through  the  passage  between 
them  islands  an'  the  main  shore,  so  's  the  British 
ships  which  '11  be  comin'  after  him  will  slip  by  him, 
while  he  lays  snug  under  the  lee  of  the  land,  an' 
then  in  the  mornin'  he'll  run  on  down  the  bay  an' 
out  to  sea.  It 's  the  only  way  he  can  escape  bein' 
took  agin." 

"Splendid!"  cried  the  colonel.  "Capital!  But 
what  does  he  wish  us  to  do?" 

"  He  says  he  can't  git  in  that  there  passage  unless 
there's  a  light  on  the  little  p'int  opposite  them 
female  islands,  an'  I  'm  to  git  a  horse  an'  a  lantern, 
an'  ride  down  there  and  watch  the  bay,  aa'  when  I 

1 60 


A   LETTER  AND   ITS  ANSWER 

see  two  lights,  a  white  one  an'  a  red  one,  with  the 
red  above,  I'm  to  light  the  lantern  an'  swing  it 
three  times  athwart  ships,  an'  three  times  alow  an' 
aloft,  an'  then  hold  it  steady  till  he  comes  in  abaft 
the  island,  an'  then  I  'm  to  wait  until  he  sends  a 
boat  off  for  me." 

"I  see,"  said  the  colonel,  eagerly;  "go  on, 
Spicer." 

"Yes,  sir,  that's  all.  Now  will  you  give  me  a 
light  an'  a  horse?  I  should  have  been  here  an  hour 
ago;  but  when  I  was  passin*  a  little  camp  of  them 
bloody  landsharks  aft  there,  one  of  'em  fired  at  me 
an'  bowled  me  over,  as  I  said.  I  had  the  good  luck 
to  roll  down  into  a  little  shallow  creek,  an'  I  lay 
hid  under  some  overhangin'  trees  until  they  hauled 
their  wind  an'  give  up  the  chase,  sayin'  they  guessed 
they'd  made  a  mistake;  an'  then  I  crawled  out  of 
the  creek  on  my  hands  an'  knees,  a  draggin'  the 
other  leg  behind  me  like  a  sea  anchor;  an'  as  I 
come  rollin'  over  the  fields  before  the  wind,  I  raised 
the  light  from  your  windows  an1  beat  up  to  the  door, 
an'  here  I  am,  sir,  an'  awful  dry  my  throat  is  now," 
said  the  seaman,  exhausted  by  the  pain  from  his 
broken  leg  and  the  blood  he  had  lost,  and  by  the 
long  speech  he  had  made. 

"  Give  him  another  nip,  Marcus.  Well,  sir,  you 
can't  ride  a  horse  or  do  anything  else  with  that  leg 
of  yours,"  said  the  colonel. 

"For  God's  sake,  sir,"  returned  the  unconscious 
hero,  "  I  've  got  to  do  it.  The  cap'n,  he  told  me 
the  safety  of  the  ship  depended  on  me.  Leg  or  no 
leg,  that  there  light  has  got  to  be  lighted.  It 's 
orders." 

ii  161 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"Then  I  '11  have  to  send  a  man,  myself,  to  do  it. 
You  have  done  nobly,  already,  my  man,  and  what 
you  need  now  is  a  bed  and  a  doctor.  Cicero,  sup 
pose  you  get  ready  and  do  this  errand." 

"Me,  suh?  Foh  de  lub  of  hebin,  Mars  Kunnel, 
doan  sen"  me,  suh.  I  's  too  ole,  suh,  an'  too  hebby; 
yais,  suh.  My,  hit's  —  hit's  fifteen  miles,  suh,  up 
de  road  ter  dat  p'int,  an'  dere's  less 'en  two  'ouahs 
foh  ter  do  hit  in,  suh;  please,  suh,  sen'  one  ob  de 
young  boys,  suh." 

"Yes,"  said  the  colonel,  reflectively,  "you  are 
rather  too  fat  for  fast  riding,  I  fear.  Tullius,  you, 
then." 

"Oh,  suh,  Mars  Bah'et,  you  wouldn't  go  foh  ter 
sen'  a  po'  ole  niggah  laik  me,  wid  my  roomastick 
back,  out  in  de  rain  laik  dis,  suh?  Oh,  Mars,  I 
got  dat  plumbago  agin,  now,  suh,"  said  the  man, 
laying  a  hand  upon  his  back,  and  groaning  and 
writhing  in  well-simulated  anguish. 

"Shut  up,  you  old  fraud,"  said  the  colonel, — 
"you,  Marcus?  You're  young  enough  and  light 
enough,  too." 

"Mars  Kunnel,"  said  the  terrified  valet,  falling 
on  his  knees,  "  I  rudder  be  whupped  daid,  suh,  dan 
tek  dat  ride.  Wid  dem  'rauders  a  layin'  foh  ter 
captuh  we-uns  evywha,  an'  den  de  ghoses  of  dem 
wimmen  on  dat  island  —  deed,  suh,  dey  ain't  none 
ob  de  boys  on  de  plantation  gwine  go,  deed  dey 
ain't,  suh  —  " 

"You  miserable  cowards,"  said  the  colonel,  "I 
knew  it,  of  course. " 

He  looked  helplessly  from  the  wounded  sailor  to 
the  cowering,  shivering,  terrified  negroes. 


A  LETTER  AND   ITS  ANSWER 

"You  see,  I'll  have  to  go,  sir,"  said  the  sailor; 
"it's  reachin'  on  to  eight  bells  now;  for  God's 
sake,  bear  a  hand  with  the  horse." 

"Nonsense,  you  cannot;  I  '11  go  myself,"  said  the 
colonel,  momentarily  oblivious,  leaping  to  his  feet, 
whence  he  immediately  sank  back  upon  his  chair, 
groaning  in  agony. 

"A  little  sprung  in  the  partners  yourself,  I  see, 
your  honor.  Lord  love  you,"  said  the  sailor, 
"gimme  the  horse." 

"Father,  I  will  go,"  said  Margaret,  boldly; 
"there  is  no  one  else.  I  know  the  way,  and  I  have 
fully  two  hours  to  do  it."  • 

"Ridiculous!  Absurd!"  said  the  colonel.  "What! 
trust  you  alone,  with  the  wood  full  of  marauding 
parties,  and  all  the  loose  characters  of  the  district 
come  to  the  surface,  and  at  this  hour,  —  are  you 
crazy  ? " 

"No,"  said  Margaret,  bravely,  though  she  shud 
dered  at  the  possible  terrors  indicated  by  her  father; 
"but  some  one  must  go.  None  of  the  slaves  will, 
or,  if  they  would,  they  would  be  so  frightened  when 
they  got  there,  they  would  be  of  no  use.  You  can 
not  go,  this  sailor  cannot  go,  we  have  no  time  to 
send  for  any  one  else  —  I  must  go.  I  will  ride  my 
beauty,  Clifford  —  there  's  nothing  on  this  side  of  the 
bay  can  catch  him  —  I  know  the  road  perfectly ;  I 
could  follow  it  blindfold." 

"I  tell  you,  you  shall  not  go." 

"Father,  I  must.  It's  for  the  sake  of  our 
country,  — and  for  Blake's  sake  as  well,"  she  added, 
at  the  dictation  of  her  heart,  in  which  the  order  of 
reasons  was  reversed.  "  If  he  is  to  save  his  cap- 

163 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

tured  ship,  he  must  have  that  light  to  guide  him  in. 
You  know  in  what  sore  straits  the  country  is  now, 
and  how  rejoiced  the  land  will  be  if  they  escape 
with  the  ship.  If  anything  does  happen  to  me,  I 
will  only  be  giving  what  hundreds  of  others  have 
given,  —  my  life  for  my  country  "  —  and  my  love, 
prompted  her  heart,  but  she  did  not  speak  the  words 
aloud.  "You  are  a  soldier,  and  I  am  a  soldier's 
daughter.  Say  that  I  may  go.  You  must  say  it, 
father." 

The  colonel  wavered,  but  there  was  evidently  no 
alternative. 

"It 's  awful  to  think  of  it,"  he  said,  finally,  "but 
I  suppose  you  must."  His  reluctant  assent  being 
given,  he  became  all  business  at  once.  "Tullius, 
go  and  have  Clifford  saddled  and  brought  around  to 
the  front  door,  quick !  Cicero,  fetch  me  the  silver- 
mounted  flask  from  the  sideboard.  You,  Marcus, 
get  my  pistols  from  the  case  in  my  chamber.  Run 
quickly,  daughter,  and  change  your  clothing.  Put 
on  a  heavy  suit,'  and  take  that  military  cape  of 
mine,  wear  your  heavy  riding-boots  as  well;  and, 
without  fail,  take  my  flint  and  steel  also,  else  you 
might  arrive  at  the  end  of  your  journey  and  not  be 
able  to  strike  a  light.  I  will  have  one  of  the  men 
prepare  a  lantern  for  you,  which  you  can  hang  to 
your  saddle  bow  in  an  oilskin  bag.  Hasten;  you 
have  but  a  little  time  left  in  which  to  make  the 
distance,  and,  at  best,  must  ride  fast  and  hard.  I 
can't  bear  to  see  her  go,"  he  added,  as  she  ran  from 
the  room.  Spicer  groaned  with  disappointment. 

"Curse  this  leg  of  mine,"  he  growled;  "it  should 
have  been  better  stayed." 

'164 


A  LETTER  AND   ITS  ANSWER 

In  a  short  time  the  girl  returned,  attired  in  a. 
rather  short-skirted  riding-habit,  and  booted  and 
spurred  for  her  journey.  Her  dainty  form  was 
enveloped  in  her  father's  long  military  coat;  on  her 
head  she  had  a  little  cocked  hat,  tightly  tied  by 
a  handkerchief  under  her  chin;  her  cheeks  were 
flushed,  her  eyes  shining,  her  mouth  resolutely 
closed.  She  had  slipped  the  little  packet  of  letters 
and  the  other  contents  of  her  box  inside  the  bosom 
of  her  dress;  the  flask  of  brandy  went  into  the 
pocket  of  her  coat;  she  tucked  the  precious  flint  and 
steel  inside  of  her  dress,  near  the  letters,  so  that  by 
no  possibility  could  they  be  lost.  The  hmtern, 
carefully  encased  in  the  waterproof  bag,  stood  on 
the  table.  Margaret  came  in  and  knelt  at  the  side 
of  her  father's  chair;  the  old  man  laid  his  hands 
upon  her  cheeks,  and  looked  into  her  upturned 
face. 

"  May  God  guard  you,  daughter ! "  he  said, 
solemnly.  "  May  He  help  you  to  discharge  your 
errand,  and  bring  you  safe  back  to  me.  Would  that 
I  had  a  son,  to  spare  you  this,"  he  added,  as  she 
rose  to  her  feet. 

"  I  will  do  the  best  I  can  to  take  his  place, 
father,"  answered  Margaret,  simply. 

"  I  know  that,  my  brave  daughter ;  no  woman 
could  do  more." 

She  stooped  and  kissed  him,  and  turned  away, 
resolutely  choking  down  a  sob. 

"Missy,"  said  Spicer,  who  had  watched  the  scene 
respectfully,  catching  her  gown  as  she  passed,  "when 
you  see  the  men  on  the  boat  the  cap'n  promised  to 
send  for  me  after  the  ship  got  under  the  lee  of  the 

'65 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

shore,  won't  you  tell  'em  to  tell  him  that  I  done  my 
duty?" 

"I  will,  surely,"  promised  Margaret;  and,  not 
trusting  herself  to  look  at  her  father  again,  she 
hurried  out  of  the  room. 


166 


CHAPTER   XXV 
Into  the  Midnight 

/'""CLIFFORD,  held  by  the  negro  groom,  was  stand- 
\~s  ing  at  the  foot  of  the  steps,  restlessly  pawing 
the  muddy  roadway.  He  was  a  graceful,  beautiful 
animal,  with  long,  clean-cut  slender  limbs,  thin 
withers  and  flanks,  and  an  easy  action,  bespeaking 
speed.  His  deep  barrel-like  chest  gave  evidence  of 
his  ability  to  breathe  when  breath  came  hard,  and 
his  heart  was  breaking  in  some  wild  gallop.  His 
back  slightly  curved,  and  with  a  springing  arch 
over  the  loins  covering  the  powerful  muscles  of  his 
quarters,  told  the  story  of  a  rare  strength  and 
endurance. 

His  small,  full-brained  head,  with  its  thin  ears, 
full  soft  eyes,  fine  muzzle,  dilating  nostrils,  and  wide 
lower  jaw,  spoke  of  intelligence  and  feeling;  and  a 
slight  concavity  of  the  frontal  bone  added  a  hall 
mark  of  good  breeding  to  his  other  excellencies. 
In  color  he  was  a  glossy-coated  chestnut  sorrel,  with 
a  white  blaze  upon  his  forehead;  in  disposition  he 
was  spirited  and  strong,  yet  gentle  as  a  woman  and 
playful  as  a  child ;  in  lineage  he  was  as  high-bred  as 
a  noble,  and,  withal,  responsively  devoted  to  his 
young  mistress,  who  loved  him  as  the  proverbial 
Arab  loves  his  steed. 

167 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

No  one  had  ever  ridden  him  but  she,  and  he 
was  her  own  exclusive  property.  The  girl  and 
the  horse  had  been  familiar  companions  in  many 
delightful  rides  over  the  hills  and  far  away,  but 
they  had  never  undertaken  such  a  journey  as  that 
upon  which  they  were  about  entering  this  night. 
The  horse  was  prancing  and  curvetting,  arching 
his  neck,  and  pawing  the  ground  in  impatient  pro 
test  at  being  called  out  at  this  untoward  hour,  and 
in  irritation  at  the  beating  of  the  rain,  which  had 
commenced  again,  harder  than  before,  upon  his  del 
icate  skin. 

"Clifford,"  said  Margaret,  stepping  to  his  head, 
as  he  brought  his  wet  muzzle  down  against  her 
dainty  cheek,  "  I  hate  to  take  you  out.  I  am  afraid 
as  death  to  go  myself,  but  it  has  to  be  done.  We 
are  riding  for  life  and  country  and  love,  this  time, 
and  you  must  bear  me  safe,"  she  whispered. 

"All  ready  now,  Miss  Margit,"  said  the  groom, 
who  had  been  fastening  to  the  saddle  the  bag  con 
taining  the  lantern. 

"Miss  Margit,"  called  out  Marcus,  from  the  door, 
"Mars  Kunnel,  he  say  luk  ter  de  saddle  girt, 
yo'sef,  missy,  an'  de  bridle,  an'  de  hoss,  too,  so's 
ter  mek  shuah,  an'  he  say  ef  you  meet  de  enemy  in 
de  paf  de  bes'  way  is  ter  ride  him  down,  an'  he  say 
Gord  bress  you  again." 

"Tell  him  I  shall  be  all  right,"  returned  Mar 
garet.  The  girl  followed  out  the  practical  sug 
gestions  of  her  soldier  father,  looked  carefully  to 
the  saddle  girths,  tested  the  stirrups  as  well,  then 
fingered  the  buckles  and  straps  of  the  bridle  to 
see  all  secure,  examined  the  lashings  which  held 

1 68 


INTO  THE   MIDNIGHT 

the  lantern  to  the  saddle,  and  finally  thrust  the 
colonel's  pistols  into  the  holsters,  in  accordance 
with  his  directions. 

"Everything  is  all  right,  Sam,"  she  said  to  the 
groom;  then,  stepping  on  the  horse-block,  and  lift 
ing  her  foot  into  his  massive  hand,  she  swung  her 
small  self  into  the  saddle,  gathered  up  the  reins  in 
her  firm  little  hands,  and  spoke  a  word  to  Clifford, 
who  bounded  forward  into  the  night. 

"D — n  this  gout,"  said  the  colonel,  wiping  his 
eyes;  "it  makes  me  cry  like  a  baby." 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Master  Spicer,  sympathetically 
eying  him,  "I  understand,  sir." 

Margaret  wa*s  too  good  a  horsewoman  to  exhaust 
the  capabilities  of  her  steed  in  the  first  period  of 
her  journey,  so  she  restrained  his  ardent  desire  to 
go  on,  with  a  firm  hand  upon  the  controlling  bridle, 
and  rapidly  cantered  up  the  road  which  ran  parallel 
to  the  shore  of  the  bay  for  a  short  distance  before  it 
turned  inward,  and  cut  off,  like  a  bow-string,  the 
long,  out-springing  curve  made  by  the  jutting-out 
shore  of  the  bay.  It  was  plain  and  easy  going 
within  the  familiar  and  sheltered  limits  of  their 
own  plantation;  and  when  she  reached  the  great 
gateway  which  opened  upon  the  road,  she  drew  rein 
a  moment,  and  looked  back  toward  the  house. 

The  light  from  the  window  of  the  little  room  she 
had  just  left,  the  shutters  of  which  had  been  thrown 
open,  streamed  out  into  the  night;  the  old  colonel 
had  risen  to  his  feet  in  spite  of  the  pain,  and,  lean 
ing  upon  the  supporting  shoulder  of  Marcus,  with 
lifted  hand  shading  his  eyes,  was  looking  vainly 
out  into  the  darkness,  in  the  direction  in  which  he 

169 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

knew  she  must  have  gone.  A  great  sob  rose  in  her 
throat  at  the  sight  of  her  old  father,  and  her  own 
tears  mingled  with  the  rain-drops  which  beat  upon 
her  cheek. 

"This  will  never  do;  we  lose  time,"  she  said  at 
length.  Then,  nervously  lifting  the  reins  from  the 
neck  of  the  impatient  horse,  and  turning  away  her 
head,  she  added,  "  Come,  Clifford,  we  must  get  on. 
We  have  work  to  do." 

She  started  slowly  this  time;  but  the  canter  of 
the  horse  grew  more  and  more  rapid,  until,  in  a 
short  time,  he  broke  into  a  gallop.  Throwing  up 
his  head,  and  shaking  it,  from  time  to  time,  impa 
tiently,  he  gave  such  evidence  as  a  dumb  horse 
could,  of  his  wish  for  a  relaxation  of  the  tight  grasp 
of  the  restraining  little  hand  upon  the  reins;  until, 
presently,  receiving  the  desired  response  to  his 
mute  appeal,  he  went  flying  through  the  night,  in  a 
long  swinging  gallop,  which  carried  her  over  the 
ground  at  a  great  pace. 

The  road  was  a  familiar  one  to  Margaret,  although 
she  had  never  before  seen  it  Under  such  circum 
stances,  and  she  gave  the  horse  his  way  without  hesi 
tation.  She  was  alone  at  midnight,  in  the  dense 
wood  on  either  hand  —  alone  but  for  the  companion 
ship  of  her  horse.  It  was  pitch  dark;  the  world 
was  only  a  blur  to  her,  except  when  the  lightning 
flashed;  she  felt  like  an  isolated  point  in  a  sea  of 
blackness;  but,  aided  by  her  vivid  imagination,  the 
familiar  objects  of  daylight  began  to  come  to  life 
and  take  strange  shapes  and  mysterious  forms  in  the 
shrouding  darkness.  The  trees,  showing  only  as 
black  blurs,  raced  beside  her  as  if  instinct  with 

170 


INTO  THE   MIDNIGHT 

infernal  life;  the  dark  sky  seemed  to  bend  low  over 
the  road ;  and  from  either  side  there  stretched  out 
long  waving  arms,  as  if  to  clasp  her  in  some  ghost 
like  embrace.  The  inhuman  silence,  which  was 
broken  only  by  the  muttered  thunder  and  the  splash 
ing  of  the  hoofs  of  the  horse  in  the  wet  road,  rilled 
her  with  terror.  The  beating  of  her  own  heart,  the 
sharp  catch  of  her  nervous  breathing,  overwhelmed 
her. 

She  trembled  with  fear  and  dread  of  the  unseen 
and  unfamiliar.  Black  shapes  seemed  to  rise  in 
front  of  her # and  stand  menacing.  Shutting  her 
eyes  when  these  things  oppressed  her,  she  rode 
recklessly  into  them.  The  swift  disclosures  of 
the  lightning  were  scarcely  less  startling  than  the 
shapes  of  night.  As  she 'rode  wildly  forward  the 
rain  beat  upon  her  in  driving  sheets ;  low  branches 
stripped  her  hat  from  her  head ;  others  struck  her 
in  the  face  or  about  the  body,  though  she  bent  low 
in  the  saddle  to  avoid  them.  Once  something 
caught  in  her  coat  and  jerked  it  from  her  shoulders, 
nearly  tearing  her  from  the  saddle  before  the  loop 
gave  way,  while  she  screamed  aloud.  By  and  by 
her  long  hair  became  unfastened,  and  streamed  out 
behind  her.  She  shivered  with  cold  and  terror,  but 
still  she  drove  ahead  on  the  forest  road. 

The  road  was  a  straight  one  —  she  could  not  mis 
take  it  —  but  she  lost  all  sense  of  location  or  dis 
tance.  In  all  her  terrors,  however,  she  held  herself 
steady,  with  the  mechanical  skill  of  the  practised 
horsewoman,  and  did  not  relax  her  hold  on  the 
reins,  nor  lose  control  of  the  horse. 

Once,  when  he  slipped  in  a  pool  of  water  that  lay 
171 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

in  the  road,  she  lifted  him  up  with  all  the  strength 
of  her  young  arms ;  once,  when  he  shied,  and 
stopped  before  something  lying  strangely  ominous 
before  him  in  the  roadway,  she  patted  him,  and  told 
him  that  he  could  not  be  as  terrified  as  she  was, 
urging  him  on,  giving  him  courage  out  of  and  in 
spite  of  her  own  weakness,  until  the  lightning  flash 
disclosed  a  fallen  tree  which  had  blocked  the  way, 
and  he  leaped  it,  and  resumed  the  journey. 

The  loneliness  oppressed  her  frightfully,  and 
finally  took  such  a  hold  upon  her  that  she  leaned 
forward  and  patted  the  neck  of  the  horse,  and  lav 
ished  caresses  and  endearing  words  upon  him  —  he, 
at  least,  was  living,  and  tangible,  and  real.  Pres 
ently  they  came  to  the  bank  of  a  turbid  stream ; 
ordinarily  the  horse  could  have  leaped  it  with  a 
single  bound;  it  was  now  become  a  raging  torrent, 
swollen  by  the  heavy  rain;  the  horse  hesitated  in 
the  darkness. 

"Into  it,  into  it,  Clifford,"  she  cried;  "we  can 
not  be  any  wetter  than  we  are."  So  encouraged, 
he  plunged  in  boldly,  and  reached  the  other  shore 
in  safety.  Margaret  gave  him  a  moment's  respite 
here,  and  he  stood  trembling  and  panting  upon  the 
bank;  but  the  eagerness  of  her  own  desire  had  at 
last  been  communicated  to  her  horse  by  the  same 
subtle  and  mysterious  process  by  which  ideas  are 
transmitted  from  man  to  man,  and  of  his  own  voli 
tion  he  started  forward,  and  broke  into  the  long 
swinging  gallop  once  more. 

Faster  now,  and  faster  he  ran.  On  and  on  they 
sped,  buffeting  away  the  darkness  on  either  side, 
as  a  ship  the  water  of  the  sea.  In  a  wild  chase  aftei 

172 


INTO  THE   MIDNIGHT 

love  and  safety,  Clifford  and  Margaret  flew  through 
the  midnight  together.  The  thought  of  her  lover, 
and  the  service  she  was  to  do  him  —  the  ship  she 
was  to  save  for  her  sorely  pressed  country  which 
she  loved  with  all  the  strength  and  enthusiastic 
devotion  of  her  young  heart  —  nerved  her  courage  as 
the  terrible  moments  wore  away.  Once  the  thought 
came  to  her  that  she  might  be  too  late,  and,  uncon 
sciously,  she  struck  the  horse  fiercely  with  the 
reins,  until  he  bounded  forward  under  the  unex 
pected  blow,  nearly  upsetting  her  by  the  swinging 
movement.  « 

Fairford  might  be  dead  —  killed  in  the  attack  — 
perhaps;  for  a  moment  she  forgot  her  own  terror  in 
the  thought. 

After  a  long  time  she  began  to  look  carefully 
about  her,  checking  her  horse  the  while;  they  must 
be,  they  were,  nearing  the  end  of  the  journey  now, 
yes  —  this  was  Briar  Creek  Hill.  She  recognized  it 
—  only  a  few  miles  farther  now,  she  thought,  as  she 
again  urged  the  horse  up  the  hill,  and  so  on  and  on. 
At  the  top  of  the  hill  she  reined  him  in  abruptly. 
The  hill  sank  down  to  a  valley  on  the  other  side. 
Through  the  valley  there  flowed  a  wide  and  deep 
creek,  almost  a  river  at  this  short  distance  from  its 
mouth,  which  emptied  into  the  bay. 

The  road  crossed  the  creek  on  a  stone  bridge  with 
a  stone  parapet,  and  the  creek  was  not  fordable. 
As  she  stopped  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  she  saw,  in 
the  lee  of  the  parapet  of  the  bridge,  a  fire  burning, 
with  some  dark  figures  grouped  around  it;  others 
were  walking  to  an  fro  across  the  bridge,  securely 
blocking  her  way.  The  thick  underbrush  and  the 

'73 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

low-lying  trees  would  prevent  her  from  getting  off 
the  road;  there  was  no  cross  road  or  short  cut 
available  —  she  had  either  to  go  forward  or  go  back. 
What  should  she  do?  She  stopped,  and  thought 
deeply. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
If  an  Enemy  Opposes,  Ride  him  Down 

TO  that  question  there  was  but  one  answer.  Of 
the  alternatives,  she  must  needs  go  forward. 
There  was  not  a  moment  of  hesitation  in  arriving  at 
that  conclusion.  Her  only  indecision  had  been  as 
to  how  she  was  to  pass  the  little  outpost  or  foraging 
party  whose  members  held  the  bridge.  Singularly 
enough,  in  the  presence  of  this  real  and  palpable 
emergency,  the  nervousness  and  timidity,  amount 
ing  to  a  frantic  fear  of  the  unknown  and  mysterious 
—  the  weird  about  her  —  which  had  made  her  ride 
a  long  dream  of  terror,  left  her  at  once,  and  she 
became  as  cool  as  the  rain  upon  her  face. 

Her  heart,  which  had  been  throbbing  wildly, 
though  it  still  continued  to  beat  more  quickly  than 
usual,  steadied  and  went  more  slowly,  and  if  her 
hand  and  foot  trembled  now,  it  was  only  because  of 
the  cold  and  wet.  It  was  not  for  nothing  that  she 
was  the  daughter  of  a  line  of  soldiers;  weak  and 
feeble  as  she  was,  nervous  as  she  had  been,  she  yet 
possessed  the  courage  of  her  ancestry.  Beyond  that 
formidable  barrier  lay  the  welfare  of  her  lover,  the 
safety  of  the  ship,  glory  for  her  country ;  upon  her 
actions,  and  upon  Clifford's,  these  things  depended. 

As  these  thoughts  flashed  through  her  mind  she  re 
solved,  in  her  soul,  that  no  human  barrier  should  with- 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

stand  her.  Her  spirits  rose;  it  was  not  humanity 
she  feared,  but  the  eerie  creatures  of  her  imagi 
nation.  In  a  moment  she  formed  her  plan.  Lean 
ing  forward  again,  she  patted,  caressingly,  the  neck 
of  the  horse  which  had  carried  her  so  gallantly 
during  the  night,  thus  giving  outward  expression  to 
him,  her  only  hope,  of  the  affectionate  gratitude 
which  filled  her  heart. 

"It  all  depends  on  you  now,  Clifford,"  she  said 
aloud ;  "  if  you  only  do  what  I  tell  you,  we  shall  get 
through  safely;  and  oh,  Clifford,  if  you  love  me, 
make  no  noise  until  the  tirrie  comes!" 

The  pleased  horse  arched  his  neck  under  her 
gloved  hand,  and  nodded  his  head  as  if  he  thor 
oughly  understood.  He  had  been  much  refreshed 
and  rested  by  this  brief  breathing  space  at  the  top 
of  the  hill,  and  wanted  to  be  off  again  the  instant 
the  signal  was  given,  but  the  girl  kept  him  well  in 
hand  with  tight  rein,  and  quietly  cantered  down  the 
slope.  As  she  drew  near  the  bridge,  she  was  able 
to  make  out  the  details  of  the  party.  Whether  they 
were  British  foragers,  or  certain  loose  characters  of 
the  baser  sort  of  her  own  land,  who  had  taken  advan 
tage  of  the  general  disorder  to  do  a  little  private 
warring  for  their  personal  benefit,  she  could  not 
tell ;  in  either  instance,  the  case  would  be  very  bad 
for  her  if  she  were  halted  and  captured;  and  no 
matter  what  happened,  her  journey  would  be  a  fruit 
less  one  if  she  were  even  temporarily  detained, 
which  was,  after  all,  the  paramount  consideration. 

She  counted  five  or  six  figures  huddled  together 
in  the  lee  of  the  parapet,  near  the  fire,  vainly  seek 
ing  shelter  from  the  rain.  One  man  stood  squarely 

176 


IF  AN   ENEMY  OPPOSES,  RIDE  HIM   DOWN 

in  the  centre  of  the  roadway,  a  rifle  in  his  hand, 
evidently  keeping  watch.  One  or  two  others,  also 
armed,  lounged  back  and  forth,  or,  indifferent  to 
the  storm,  leaned  upon  the  parapet  on  the  other 
side.  As  she  presently  drew  still  nearer  the  party, 
she  laid  the  reins  upon  Clifford's  neck,  and  by  a 
gentle  pressure  turned  him  out  of  the  highway,  and 
made  him  come  down  to  a  walk  upon  the  grassy 
roadside,  where  his  footfalls  made  no  noise.  She 
remembered*  the  splendid  advice  of  that  bold  old 
soldier  and  dashing  cavalryman  of  the  Revolution, 
her  father :  — 

"If  an  enemy  bar  your  way,  ride  him  down." 
The  noise  of  the  rain  and  the  blackness  of  the 
night  permitted  her  to  approach  the  bridge  near  by 
without  being  seen  or  heard.  A  few  steps  farther, 
however,  would  bring  her  within  the  faint  circle  of 
the  illumination  of  the  fire.  The  time  for  action 
had  come.  Her  heart  was  beating  madly  again, 
her  body  tingled  with  excitement.  Had  the  sentry 
standing  before  her  been  able  to  see  the  proud,  bold 
smile  upon  her  lips,  the  look  of  tense  resolution  in 
her  face,  he  would  have  hesitated  ere  he  stood  in 
her  path.  She  forgot  she  was  a  woman  as  she 
quickly  drew  the  colonel's  pistol  from  the  holster 
and  cocked  it.  Then  she  quietly  wheeled  Clifford 
out  into  the  roadway.  Settling  herself  well  in  the 
saddle,  getting  a  firm  grip  of  the  reins  again,  she 
bent  her  head  low  over  the  horse's  neck. 

"  Now  /"  she  called  in  a  loud,  shrill  voice  —  for 

the  life  of  her  she  could  not  restrain  that  exultant 

cry  —  which  was  heard  far  above  the  noise  of  the 

tempest.     At  the  same  instant  she  drove  home  into 

12  I77 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

Clifford's  delicate  flank  the  spur  as  she  had  never 
done  before. 

"Clifford,  on!" 

With  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow  but  new  released 
from  a  bow  by  a  mighty-armed  archer,  the  aston 
ished  and  affrighted  horse  gave  a  great  bound,  and 
sprang  toward  the  bridge  —  that  spur  to  him  had 
been  like  a  blow  in  the  face  from  a  lover's  hand. 

"  What 's  that?  "  sharply  cried  the  man  on  watch 
in  the  middle  of  the  road.  "Hello!  Who  comes  —  " 

He  never  finished  the  sentence.  A  great  black 
shape  sprang  upon  him  out  of  the  darkness,  like  an 
apparition  ;  two  great  fiery  eyes  looked  into  his  own  ; 
he  caught  a  fleeting  glimpse  of  blood-red  nostrils 
wide  distended.  Above  the  horse's  head  a  white 
face  shone  in  the  firelight,  teeth  set,  eyes  shining, 
and  then  something  huge  and  tremendous  struck 
him  in  the  breast  like  an  avalanche.  As  he  fell 
back  upon  the  bridge  with  a  shriek  of  terror,  under 
the  mighty  impact,  an  iron  hoof  struck  him  in  the 
head  with  terrific  force  and  beat  out  his  brains. 

At  the  wild  cry  of  the  sentinel,  the  others  had 
leaped  to  their  feet,  and  the  two  already  standing 
sprang  back  upon  the  road  in  futile  attempt  to 
bar  the  way  and  check  her  progress.  As  well 
attempt  to  stop  the  thunderbolt.  They  saw  the 
flash  of  a  pistol,  heard  its  quick,  sharp  crack.  One 
of  them  fell  back  against  the  parapet  groaning  and 
cursing,  a  bullet  in  his  shoulder.  The  great  bulk 
of  the  horse  struck  the  other  upon  the  shoulder,  as 
he  caught  at  the  bridle,  and  brushed  him  aside  like 
a  leaf  in  the  storm.  There  was  a  thunder  of  hoofs 
upon  the  bridge,  a  spark  struck  off  by  the  iron  shoes 

178 


IF  AN  ENEMY  OPPOSES,  RIDE  HIM   DOWN 

of  the  horse,  and  a  moment  after  a  rifle  shot  rang 
out  in  the  night.  At  the  same  moment  Clifford 
leaped  into  the  air  like  a  bird,  bounded  forward,  and 
they  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 

They  were  over;  they  had  broken  away.  In  her 
mad  excitement  Margaret  struck,  him,  and  spurred 
him  again  and  again.  Pursuit  would  have  been 
futile,  in  any  event;  and  since  there  were  no  horses 
with  the  party  on  the  bridge  it  was  not  even 
attempted.  She  never  thought  of  it,  however,  as  she 
swept  through  the  air  like  a  swallow.  By  and  by 
her  senses  returned  to  her  in  a  measure;  but  now 
she  found  she  had  entirely  lost  control  of  her  horse. 
She  might  as  well  have  tugged  at  an  iron  bar  as  to- 
attempt  to  restrain  him  with  the  reins.  For  the 
first  time  in  his  life  he  failed  to  respond  to  her 
voice.  He  ran  forward,  forward,  madly;  flakes  of 
foam  from  his  mouth,  tossed  up  by  his  head  and- 
blown  back  by  his  wild  racing,  clung  to  her  habit 
as  they  tore  through  the  night. 

A  wild  exultation   took   possession   of   her;    the- 
blood  burned  in  her  face,  the  mad  joy  of  the  hunter 
filled  her  veins.     He  would  have   his   way;  well, 
she  would  let  him  go.      She  even  found  herself  urg 
ing  the  horse  onward,  recklessly;  forward,  ever  for 
ward,  on  and  on  they  flew.      Her  heart  sang  the  song 
of  triumph,  her  soul  knew  no  fear;  in  wonder  she 
found  herself  crying  aloud,  incoherently.      But  such 
a  pace  could  not  last ;  besides,  they  must  be  nearing, 
the  end  of  their  journey  now. 

She  remembered  that  there  was  a  great  rock  by 
the  side  of  the  road,  and  beyond  that  opened  a. 
footpath  which  led  through  the  wood  and  underbrush* 

179 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

:a  half  mile  or  more  to  the  water's  edge,  where  she 
was  to  display  the  light.  Suddenly  a  great  black 
monolith  loomed  up  beside  her.  She  tried  to  turn 
in,  but  in  vain ;  they  passed  it  in  a  flash.  She 
must  stop  now,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  that  she 
was  killing  the  horse.  She  tried  to  check  him  with 
the  reins  and  with  her  voice,  but,  as  before,  in  vain. 
He  had  been  running  at  full  speed,  but  now  she 
noticed  that  his  speed  was  gradually  diminishing, 
though  he  still  held  straight  on,  and,  absolutely 
uncontrolled,  would  not  be  swerved  from  his  course. 

She  could  hear  his  deep  panting  breath  coming 
from  him  like  a  human  sob.  She  tried  to  check 
him  again  and  again,  to  bring  him  to  a  stop;  but,  as 
if  moved  by  some  blind  instinct  of  ambition,  or,  as 
if  the  accumulative  intensity  of  the  two  hours'  wild 
-advance  had  impressed  itself  upon  his  personality, 
he  continued  straight  ahead,  and  straight  ahead  he 
would  go  till  he  died.  Wonder  at  the  actions  of 
the  horse,  for  the  moment,  supplanted  other  emo 
tions  in  her. 

His  pace  was  slower  now  —  slower  —  slower  — 
.almost  a  walk.  She  had  ceased  her  pull  at  the 
reins,  and  laid  her  hand  tenderly  upon  his  drooping 
neck.  He  staggered  now,  staggered  again,  and  fell 
forward.  What  was  the  matter?  Ah,  she  knew. 
Realizing  the  inevitable,  she  quickly  disengaged  her 
foot  from  the  stirrup,  and,  as  he  slowly  sank,  pant 
ing  and  gasping,  to  the  ground,  she  stood  beside 
him. 

She  was  a  woman  again.  A  great  sob  rose  in  her 
throat.  The  random  rifle  shot  at  the  bridge  had 
struck  the  horse.  He  had  bled  to  death;  the  wild 

180 


IF  AN  ENEMY  OPPOSES,  RIDE   HIM   DOWN 

ride  had  used  his  vitality  up  the  sooner,  and  her 
hand  had  urged  him  on.  They  would  ride  no  more 
together.  He  had  done  his  splendid  part  to  bring 
her  to  the  haven  where  she  would  be.  He  had  done 
his  duty,  and  had  borne  himself  nobly  and  well, 
though  he  was  only  a  horse,  dying,  in  the  effort, 
with  all  the  gallantry  and  resolution  of  the  most 
distinguished  of  his  kind. 

With  nervous  trembling  fingers  she  detached  the 
lantern  from  the  saddle  bow,  and  then  knelt  down, 
and  for  a  moment  laid  her  cheek  against  that  of  the 
dying  horse.  She  left  a  kiss  upon  his  wet  face,  —  a 
kiss  for  the  like  of  which  many  men  would  have- 
died  ;  but  she  had  no  time  to  mourn  further,  then. 

"Goodbye,  Clifford,"  she  sobbed.  Then,  rising 
to  her  feet,  she  picked  up  her  skirts  and  ran  baclc 
along  the  road. 


181 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

A  Light  in  the  Darkness 

T  TNDER  the  lee  of  the  great  stone  she  found  the 
LJ  pathway,  and  plunged  boldly  into  the  forest. 
•Strange  sounds  met  her  ear  again.  The  weird 
shapes  which  had  so  alarmed  her  at  the  beginning 
of  her  journey  were  nearer  to  her  now.  Each*  blur 
of  darkness  seemed  pregnant  with  a  danger  seek 
ing  instant  deliverance.  The  underbrush  impeded 
her  way,  brambles  caught  her  garments,  checking 
her  progress.  Her  long  wet  skirts  clung  to  her 
and  retarded  her  steps,  but  she  drew  them  up  and 
pressed  on.  Once  a  shadowy  arm  reached  out  and 
laid  a  hand  upon  her  head ;  she  felt  a  sudden  pull 
upon  her  flying  hair,  and  would  have  shrieked  and 
fainted  but  for  her  unfulfilled  errand;  so  she  reached 
back  a  trembling  hand  and  disengaged  her  tresses 
from  the  tree  bough  and  pressed  on  again. 

Now  she  could  hear  the  splash  of  the  waves  upon 
the  shore.  The  wind  had  been  roaring  through  the 
tree-tops  above  her,  and  as  she  came  out  upon  the 
open  rock  in  front  of  the  islands  she  was  almost 
swept  from  her  feet  by  the  force  of  the  gale.  Here 
was  the  spot.  Long  familiarity  easily  enabled  her 
to  reach  the  point  of  vantage  from  which  she  was  to 
swing  the  light.  Was  she  too  late?  Her  eyes 

182 


A   LIGHT   IN   THE   DARKNESS 

eagerly  swept  the  bay  for  the  signal.  There  was 
not  a  light  to  be  seen.  He  had  not  come,  or  else 
he  had  gone  by.  She  would  wait.  She  would  wait 
until  the  morning  if  necessary,  so  she  sank  down 
upon  the  rocky  point,  keeping  her  eyes  upon  the 
bay. 

She  first  made  sure  that  the  lantern  was  safe 
under  j;he  oilskin;  then  her  hand  we'nt  to  the  bosom 
of  her  dress.  Yes,  there  was  the  flint  and  steel ; 
there,  too,  was  the  little  leather  packet.  She  did 
not  dare  to  make  a  light  to  see  where  she  was,  or 
what  time  it  was.  She  did  not  know  but  that  the 
wood  might  be  filled  with  enemies,  real  and  unreal, 
to  whom  the  spark  struck  by  the  steel  would  betray 
her.  Her  salvation  was  to  sit  still,  and  this  was 
the  hardest  of  her  trials. 

Shivering  with  cold,  a  chill  as  of  death  upon  her, 
she  was  desperately  weary.  She  missed  the  com 
panionship —  I  had  almost  said  the  sympathy  —  of 
her  noble  horse;  she  lacked  the  freedom  given  by 
his  rapid  motion,  the  feeling  of  power  and  mastery 
which  she  had  when  she  rode  him.  In  the  face  of 
the  intangible  and  unreal  her  terrors  came  back  again 
with  increasing  force. 

Hark !  What  was  that  sound  she  heard  above  the 
breaking  of  the  waves,  the  roar  of  the  wind,  the  beat 
of  the  rain,  the  crash  of  a  thunder-clap?  —  a  low 
moaning  sound,  oft  repeated,  —  a  deep  mournful 
note  like  the  wail  of  a  lost  spirit  crushed  with 
despair,  —  the  cry  of  abandoned  hope.  The  weird 
sound  came  from  the  Three  Moaning  Sisters,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  narrow  pass.  She  knew  the 
tradition  of  the  three  maidens  who  had  gone  out  for 

183 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF   THE   SEA 

a  row  one  evening,  early  in  the  century  which  had 
passed,  and  whose  boat  had  been  driven  by  a  sudden 
squall  of  the  wind  upon  the  three  jagged  rocks  on 
the  point  of  the  island  beyond  which  her  lover 
sought  safety,  and  where  the  poor  girls  had  been 
drowned.  It  was  told  in  every  negro  hut,  and  whis 
pered  in  every  cabin,  that  the  spirits  of  the  three  un 
fortunate  women  had  hung  about  these  perilous  reefs 
since  that  day,  and  there  was  death  before  those  who 
heard  their  warning  voices. 

She  had  often  laughed  at  the  absurd  superstition 
—  mocked  at  the  foolish  legend  as  an  old  wife's 
tale.  Were  those  voices  of  the  dead  calling  to  her? 
Whose  death  did  they  betoken?  Not  Fairford's  — 
pitying  Saviour  —  not  his.  Again  and  again  she 
heard  the  weird  cry.  She  could  have  shrieked 
aloud  in  terror.  What  was  the  hour?  Was  it 
to-day  or  yesterday  that  she  had  set  forth  upon  her 
mad  ride?  For  what  had  she  come  here  —  to  this 
lonely,  desolate,  blasted  spot  ? 

Ah!  Up  the  bay,  there,  a  light,  shining  like  a 
single  star  in  the  blackness  of  the  night,  — a  white 
light,  and  above  it,  at  a  moment  later,  there  gleamed 
balefully  another  light  of  red !  It  was  the  signal. 
Her  heart  bounded  once  more,  her  fears  vanished 
again.  Thank  God,  she  was  in  time.  Nervously 
she  tore  open  the  bosom  of  her  dress.  Seizing  the 
flint  and  steel,  and  turning  her  back  to  the  wind  and 
rain,  after  repeated  failures,  she  finally  succeeded 
in  igniting  the  wick  of  the  lantern.  The  lights 
were  nearer  now  —  much  nearer ;  they  were  making 
toward  her  with  the  swiftness  of  the  storm  itself. 
Throwing  aside  the  oilskin  cover,  she  rose  to  her 


A  LIGHT   IN  THE  DARKNESS 

feet  with  the  light  in  her  hand.     What  were  the 
directions  which, had  been  given  to  the  sailor? 

Out  in  the  bay,  Fairford  and  Ludlow  were  stand 
ing  together  on  the  deck  of  the  frigate.  Old 
Rhodes  was  stationed  near  the  wheel,  which  was  in 
charge  of  two  skilful  and  trusty  seamen.  The 
others  of  the  crew  were  disposed  at  points  of  need, 
all  eagerly  watching.  The  flying  moments  were 
filled  with  deep  anxiety. 

"I  hope  to  God  Spicer  met  with  no  mishap," 
said  the  captain.  "  I  would  not  dare  to  take  the 
ship  in  past  the  rocks  on  Three  Sisters  Island  with 
out  that  light,  and  unless  we  get  in  there,  with 
those  two  vessels  behind  us,  and  the  British  ships 
before,  we'll  be  hemmed  in,  surrounded,  and  have 
absolutely  no  chance  of  escape.  If  we  do  get  in 
there,  however,  and  lie  to  for  a  few  hours,  until  the 
morning,  they  will  probably  pass  on,  and  not  seeing 
us  at  the  mouth  of  the  bay  in  the  morning  may 
imagine  that  we  have  gone  to  sea.  At  any  rate, 
we  '11  have  all  our  foes  before  us  in  that  event,  and 
that  will  give  us  a  fighting  chance." 

"Have  we  nearly  reached  the  point,  think  you?" 
asked  Ludlow,  "  whence  we  should  bear  up  for  the 
Island  pass? " 

"Almost,  I  think,"  said  Fairford,  anxiously;  "as 
near  as  this  black  night  will  enable  me  to  judge. 
It 's  about  sixteen  knots  from  where  we  cut  her  out 
to  the  pass,  and  as  the  road  cuts  off  the  big  bend  of 
the  bay,  it  is  only  fifteen  miles  from  Colonel  Bar 
rett's  to  the  point.  Margaret  and  I  have  often 
ridden  it  together." 

185 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"I  took  the  ride  once  with  Miss  Heathcote  my« 
self,"  said  Ludlow,  sighing. 

"Yes,"  said  Fairford;  "how  embarrassing  it  is 
that  she  and  Sir  James  are  aboard.  Ships  of  war 
are  no  place  for  women.  What  to  do  with  them  I 
know  not,  I  cannot  spare  the  time  nor  men  to  set 
them  ashore.  They'll  even  have  to  go  with  us,  I 
suppose. " 

"I  suppose  so,"  replied  Ludlow,  his  heart  bound 
ing  at  the  thought  of  the  privileges  the  companion 
ship  would  give  him  with  Evelyn,  whom  he  still 
loved. 

"  Better  show  the  lights  now,  I  think.  Forward, 
there !  Hang  up  those  lights  on  the  foreshrouds  — 
the  red  one  above  the  white  one,"  said  the  captain. 
"You  stay  aft,  Ludlow.  I'll  take  my  station  on 
the  forecastle  to  con  her  in.  Do  you  see  anything 
of  the  other  ships?  " 

"No,  sir,"  replied  the  latter,  sweeping  the  sea 
behind  him. 

"  That 's  well.  Stand  by  for  orders,  and  see 
they  are  obeyed  promptly,  for  all  our  sakes. " 

"Ay,  ay,   sir,"  said   the  young  officer,  saluting. 

When  Fairford  reached  the  forecastle,  the  lights 
had  been  displayed.  Eagerly  he  searched  the  black 
blur  of  the  shore  toward  which  he  was  sailing  as 
nearly  as  he  dared  go.  In  order  to  get  a  better  view, 
he  sprang  into  the  foreshrouds,  and  stood  upon  the 
sheer-poles,  and,  taking  hold  of  the  forward  swifter, 
he  leaned  far  out  into  the  night.  There  was  no  evi 
dence,  whatever,  that  his  signal  had  been  seen;  no 
response  to  it  was  made.  He  was  in  a  perfect  agony 
of  suspense.  The  ship  was  sweeping  through  the 

186 


A  LIGHT   IN   THE   DARKNESS 

water  at  a  tremendous  rate;  it  would  soon  be  too 
late;  once  past  the  point,  he  would  have  to  go  on, 
he  could  never  beat  back  to  the  pass. 

"I  should  have  sent  two  messengers  —  three  —  " 
he  muttered,  "  to  provide  for  accident.  It  was  too 
great  a  task  for  one  man.  I  dare  not  take  the  ship 
in  without  that  light."  Ah!  What  was  that  ahead 
there,  that  glow  in  the  darkness?  Fairford's  heart 
stood  still,  as  the  light  ahead  of  him  moved  three 
times  from  side  to  side,  then  thrice  up  and  down. 
The  signal!  the  signal!  —  They  were  safe!  He 
fixed  his  eye  upon  it  as  it  stood  steady  now  —  the 
faint  beacon  which  meant  salvation. 

"  Starboard  the  helm !  Man  the  weather  braces !" 
His  voice  rang  through  the  ship  like  a  cry  of 
triumph,  telling,  in  its  vibrations,  the  story  of 
success. 

"I  '11  make  a  boatswain's  mate  of  that  man,"  he 
said  to  himself,  as,  in  obedience  to  his  orders,  the 
ship  swung  in  toward  the  shore,  and  with  the  wind 
on  her  quarter  rushed  for  the  wished-for  pass. 

Out  on  the  jutting  point  a  woman  stood,  holding 
in  her  trembling  hands  the  light  which  lighted  her 
lover's  path,  — the  light  which  showed  her  country's 
way.  The  red  and  white  lights  before  her  were 
suddenly  extinguished;  but  that  gave  her  no  uneasi 
ness.  She  knew  why;  she  divined  the  reason, — 
that  it  was  to  prevent  the  other  ships  from  observing 
the  motions  of  the  chase.  Exultation  was  in  her 
heart  again.  She  had  lighted  the  beacon,  so  she 
waited  in  a  fever  of  excitement.  By  and  by,  a  great 
black  cloud  drew  into  the  pass  out  of  the  bay.  She 

187 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

heard  the  groaning  of  the  spars  and  the  straining 
sails.  Aided  by  a  lightning  flash,  she  even  detected 
the  white  waves  in  the  darkness  boiling  and  foam 
ing  about  the  bows.  The  ship  was  safe. 

As  the  vessel  glided  by  the  point,  the  moaning  of 
the  weird  sisters  of  the  storm  broke  upon  her  ears. 
She  heard  the  splash  of  the  falling  anchor  in  the 
still  water  beneath  the  point,  the  flap  of  the  heavy 
canvas,  the  creaking  of  the  blocks,  sharp  words  of 
command,  the  rush  of  the  cable  through  the  hawse 
pipes.  Her  work  was  over,  her  task  had  bee»  per 
formed;  like  Spicer,  she  had  done  her  duty.  The 
lamp  fell  from  her  nervous  hand  to  her  feet,  reac 
tion  came,  and  she  sank  down  beside  it,  feeble, 
exhausted,  fevered,  delirious  —  what  happened  to 
her  now  mattered  not;  her  lover  was  saved. 

The  rain  beat  upon  her.  In  her  ear  she  heard  the 
wild  cry  of  the  sisters  of  the  wind.  Was  it  her 
death  those  cries  had  betokened?  She  drowsed 
wearily,  and  thence  knew  no  more. 


188 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 
A   Theological  Discussion 

OUT  on  the  ship  hard  work  was  going  on,  and 
the  eager  men  worked  with  speed.  The  boats 
had  been  called  away,  and  the  English  prisoners 
were  being  set  upon  the  shore  of  the  three  islands. 
Inasmuch  as  they  outnumbered  his  own  crew,  Fair- 
ford  felt  that  there  was  no  security  for  the  captured 
ship  until  he  had  got  rid  of  them.  He  explained  to 
the  senior  English  officer  left,  who  had  demurred 
greatly,  that  the  islands  were  in  full  sight  of  the 
English  ships,  which  were  constantly  passing  up 
and  down  the  bay,  and  their  rescue  from  them  would 
be  a  matter  of  scarcely  a  day. 

At  any  rate,  rescue  or  no  rescue,  he  was  com 
pelled  to  dispose  of  them,  and  boats  were  imme 
diately  called  away,  and  the  work  of  landing  them 
at  once  began;  they  were  disarmed,  brought  on 
decks  in  small  groups,  and  securely  guarded  until 
they  were  put  on  shore.  After  discharging  the  first 
load  of  prisoners  upon  the  island,  the  first  boat, 
instead  of  immediately  returning  to  the  ship  as  the 
others  did,  for  another  cargo  of  captured  humanity, 
made  its  way  to  the  point  on  the  mainland  where 
the  light  had  been  shown,  to  pick  up  Spicer,  as 
Fairford  had  promised. 

189 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"He  should  be  cruisin'  around  hereabouts,"  said 
old  Joe,  who  was  in  command,  as  he  beached  the 
boat  on  the  shingle,  — "if  he's  got  any  sense  o' 
bein'  where  he  ought  to  be  —  Spicer!"  he  called 
loudly,  "ahoy,  mate!  Dash  it  all,"  he  said,  as  no 
response  was  made  to  the  hail  which  he  several 
times  repeated;  "I  suppose  I  've  got  to  work  up  to 
that  there  p'int  and  carry  him  down,  he  seems  to 
have  got  so  bashful  like.  Come  along,  Thompson. 
The  rest  of  you  stay  here.  Gimme  that  lantern. 
Have  you  got  your  cutlass,  Bill?"  he  continued,, 
leaping  on  shore. 

"Ay,"  responded  the  seaman,  laconically,  rising 
from  the  thwart,  where  he  had  pulled  stroke  oar, 
and  following  the  older  man.  The  two  made  their 
way  to  the  rocky  headland  whence  the  light  had 
been  seen. 

"  Spicer  —  George  —  where  are  ye,  man  ?  Why 
don't  you  answer;  are  you  deaf?"  he  called  anx 
iously.  "  D'  ye  see  him,  mate  ?  " 

"Blast  this  rain;  can't  hear  nor  see  nothin',"  re 
plied  Thompson,  while  the  two  old  men  went  waver 
ing  blindly  about  over  the  little  uneven  plateau. 
Suddenly  Rhodes'  foot  struck  something. 

"Hello!"  he  said,  "I've  struck  a  reef.  Is  this 
you,  Spicer?  If  it  is,  you  blank  fool,  why  don't 
you  pipe  up?  Show  a  light,  Bill.  Sink  me!"  he 
exclaimed  in  astonishment  when  the  lantern  was 
brought  forward,  "if  it  ain't  a  female!" 

"  Female  wot  ?  "  asked  the  matter-of-fact  Thomp- 
;son. 

"  Female  woman  —  who  d'  ye  think  it  was,  an 
elephant? " 

190 


A  THEOLOGICAL  DISCUSSION 

"  Is  she  dead  ? "  said  the  man,  ignoring  the  last 
bit  of  sea  sarcasm. 

"No,  she  aint,"  replied  the  old  seaman,  kneeling 
down,  and  tenderly  laying  a  hand  upon  her. 

"  Here  's  a  doused  light  —  she  must  a'  showed  it 
herself  —  God!     Wot  a  night  for  a  woman  to  be' 
adrift  in  —  wonder  who  'tis?"  said  Bill. 

"Well,  it's  not  Spicer,  that's  one  thing  cer 
tain,"  answered  Rhodes,  confidently. 

"  Wot  '11  you  do  with  her  ?  "  said  Thompson. 

"I  guess  we  'd  better  take  her  aboard,"  said  the 
boatswain's  mate,  dubiously;  "we  can't  leave  her 
out  here  to  die,  though  wot  the  cap'n'll  say  to 
me  for  bringin'  another  female  critter  on  the  ship 
I  can't  say." 

"I  don't  like  it  myself.  Wimmen  are  reg'lar  — 
wot 's  that  Bible  feller's  name  wot  got  swallered  by 
a  whale?  Jones,  ain't  it?  Yes,  reg'lar  Jonses  on 
a  man-o'-war,"  said  Thompson,  gloomily.  "I 
never  did  swaller  that  yarn  nohow;  aint  never  seen 
no  right  whale  with  a  throat  big  enough  to  take  in 
a  Jones,  an'  I  've  struck  a  harpoon  into  some  whales 
in  my  day,  too,"  he  continued,  sceptically. 

"Wich  his  name  ain't  Jones,  but  Jonah;  an'  I 
want  to  tell  you,  Bill  Thompson,  that  as  for  me,  I 
believe  every  word  in  the  Bible,  an'  you  better  da 
it,  too,  if  you  want  a  safe  anchorage  in  Davy  Jones' 
locker  by  an'  by;  wich  I  say,  meanin'  no  disre 
spect  to  God,  far  from  it.  Besides,  sperm  whales 
kin  swaller  anything.  Now  if  that  there  Bible  whale 
had  as  big  a  mouth  for  men  as  you  've  got  for  grog, 
he'd  'a'  took  in  a  whole  family  of  Joneses  —  you 
better  dewelop  a  taste  for  swallerin'  yarns  instid  of 

IQI 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

whisky,  as  the  chaplain  used  to  say,  fer  ye'r  soul's 
health,  if  ye 've  got  any  soul,  blast  ye,"  responded 
old  Rhodes,  severely,  checking  any  further  theo 
logical  discussion  by  resting  his  case,  as  many 
better  men  have  done,  on  his  individual  authority  as 
a  boatswain's  mate  as  distinguished  from  that  of  a 
mere  able  seaman.  "An"  I  don't  want  to  stand 
here  gabblin'  with  you  all  night,  nuther.  It 's  plain 
to  ye  that  this  yere  woman  is  not  the  man  we  want. 
Howsomever,  he  told  us  to  get  Spicer;  an'  as  he's 
not  here,  we  '11  do  the  next  best  thing." 

"Wonder  where  Spicer  is,  anyhow?"  said  the 
abashed  William,  trying  to  ingratiate  himself  with 
the  superior  Rhodes  again.  "  The  '  old  man  '  told 
him  he  was  goin'  to  make  him  a  bosun's  mate, 
if  he  done  the  job  seamanlike.  Wonder  if  he'll 
make  this  yere  female  one,"  continued  Thompson, 
laughing  hoarsely. 

"Don't  you  be  fool  twicest  in  the  same  night, 
Thompson;  your  head  's  gittin'  that  soft,  mate,  I  '11 
make  a  rope  fender  o;ut  of  it  when  we  git  back.  You 
ketch  her  aft  and  I  '11  take  her  forward  here.  Easy 
now  —  easy. " 

The  two  men  lifted  up  their  precious  burden,  one 
at  the  shoulders  and  one  at  the  feet,  and  tenderly 
carried  it  down  the  hill,  and  deposited  it  carefully 
in  the  boat,  amid  the  wondering  comments  of  the 
crew. 

"  Is  that  Spicer,  mate  ?  "  inquired  one. 

"Wot  have  ye  got  there,  Joe?  "  asked  another. 

"  Lord,  if  it  ain't  a  woman ! "  said  a  third. 

"Belay  your  jaw  tackle,  all  hands-  of  ye,"  said 
the  old  man,  sternly.  "  Bill,  you  take  the  helium, 

192 


A  THEOLOGICAL   DISCUSSION 

an*  make  for  the  ship;  I  've  got  to  hold  the  female. 
Shove  off,  out  oars,  give  way." 

"Lord,  I  wisht  I  was  Joe,  with  that  female 
woman,"  said  the  stroke  oar,  meditatively  survey 
ing  that  veteran  seaman,  holding  the  slender  girl  as 
gingerly  as  if  she  had  been  a  baby. 

"Shut  up,  blast  ye,"  responded  that  individual, 
irately;  "I'll  break  the  head  of  the  first  man  that 
says  another  word.  This  yere  's  no  woman,  she  's  a 
lady,  .you  swabs,  an'  she  saved  the  ship  which  she 
would  n't  'a'  done,  if  she  'd  'a'  knowed  you  as  long 
as  I  've  done,  you  worthless  haymakers." 

"  What  have  you  got  there  ? "  asked  Fairford,  as 
Rhodes,  assisted  by  the  others,  dragged  his  precious 
burden  up  through  the  gangway.  "It  isn't  Spicer, 
is  it?  By  heavens  —  another  woman!  It's  too 
much ;  d'  ye  want  to  turn  the  ship  into  a  nunnery  ?  " 

"Well,  your  honor,"  said  Rhodes,  dubiously, 
"Spicer,  he  weren't  on  the  p'int,  an'  there  want 
nobody  there  but  this  yere  female  pussen,  an'  I 
guessed  I  'd  better  bring  it  off.  Seemed  a  pity  to 
let  it  be  dyin'  there,  and  then  —  well  "  —  he  went 
on,  boldly,  "she  lighted  the  lantern  for  us — an' 
there  weren't  nobody  else  there,  an'  I  couldn't 
leave  her  alone." 

"Show  the  light  here,"  said  Fairford,  quickly,  as 
the  truth  began  to  dawn  upon  him.  "  Good  heavens ! 
It's  Margaret,"  he  exclaimed  in  terror,  as  the  light 
fell  upon  her  drawn  white  face,  with  its  closed  eyes 
and  open  lips,  as  she  lay  back  in  the  boatswain's 
arms,  her  matted  hair  falling  back  over  his  shoulder. 
"Is  she  dead?  Give  her  to  me,"  he  cried,  fiercely, 
every  fibre  in  his  body  throbbing  responsive  to  her 
13  193 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF   THE    SEA 

presence  as  he  picked  her  up  in  his  arms  as  if  she 
had  been  a  child,  and  bore  her  quickly  to  the  cabin. 
Evelyn  was  standing  there,  packing  up,  preparatory 
to  going  ashore  with  the  rest,  Sir  James  preferring 
that  contingency  to  a  further  cruise  under  the 
American  flag.  Fairford  carried  his  dripping  burdert 
into  the  room,  and  laid  it  down  upon  one  of  the 
lockers. 

"  Why,  it  is  Margaret ! "  exclaimed  Evelyn,  in 
terrified  surprise,  rushing  up  to  her.  "  Captain 
Fairford,  how  came  she  here?" 

"She  must  have  lighted  the  beacon  that  got  us 
into  this  haven,"  said  Fairford,  solemnly.  "Think 
of  it;  that  awful  ride,  this  awful  night  —  where  can 
Spicer  be  ? " 

"Shall  we  take  her  back  to  the  shore  with  us?" 
queried  Sir  James,  anxiously. 

"I  fear  not,"  answered  the  young  captain,  in  great 
anxiety;  "I  do  not  think  she  could  possibly  ven 
ture  ;  a  further  exposure  in  this  wild  weather  would 
kill  her." 

"  Certainly  she  cannot  be  taken  away  in  this 
state,"  said  Evelyn;  "she  must  be  attended  to 
here,  and  at  once.  See  how  wretched  she  looks  I 
You  need  not  pack  up  any  more  for  me,  Sir  James,. 
I  shall  stay  with  her;  I  cannot  leave  her  alone;  I 
love  her,  the  poor  darling." 

"Of  course  if  you  stay,  I  must  stay,  too,"  said 
Sir  James,  ruefully;  but,  giving  up  to  her,  as  usual, 
"Don't  you  think  that  after  awhile  —  " 

"  No,"  answered  Evelyn,  promptly,  "  we  must  stay." 

"May  heaven  reward  you  for  this,  Miss  Evelyn. 
For  God's  sake  take  care  of  her.  I  — "  Fairford 

194 


stopped  abruptly,  and,  in  anguish  of  soul,  looked 
down  upon  the  white  face  of  the  girl  he  loved.  His 
whole  adventure  was  nothing,  his  triumph  was  turned 
to  bitterness  unless  she  recovered. 

"I  understand  all  about  it,"  said  Evelyn,  impa 
tiently;  "now  leave  us  alone.  Hand  me  my  medi 
cine  chest,  Sir  James,  if  you  please." 

After  Fairford  had  reluctantly  left  the  cabin, 
Evelyn  knelt  down  beside  her  friend,  and  forced  a 
restorative  between  her  closed  lips;  in  a  little  while 
she  stirred  uneasily,  and  muttered  something,  open 
ing  her  eyes  widely. 

"  The  light  —  the  light  —  I  did  it  —  won't  you  take 
the  rose  now,  Blake  ?  "  said  the  feeble  voice. 

Up  on  the  deck  Fairford  communicated  the  news 
of  Margaret's  wonderful  heroism  to  Ludlow,  in  the 
pauses  permitted  by  their  arduous  duties,  even  as 
Rhodes  had  told  the  story  to  the  crew.  The  twa 
officers  marvelled  over  it.  That  one  feeble  woman 
had  made  the  terrible  journey  alone  seemed  almost 
incredible.  Fairford  readily  surmised  that  some 
thing  had  happened  to  Spicer,  and  that  Margaret 
had  taken  his  place,  though  he  wondered  why  the 
colonel  had  not  done  it  himself. 

To  his  love,  therefore,  —  the  love  which  he  had 
endeavored  to  repress  so  sternly,  and  which  had 
only  grown  greater  under  his  insistence,  —  was 
added  a  boundless  gratitude.  Whatever  of  reward 
came  to  him,  personally,  whatever  service  he  w.ould 
be  able  to  render  his  country,  would  be  due  to  her. 
He  had  thought  that  three  men  had  not  been  enough 
for  the  task  which  had  been  accomplished  by  one 
woman. 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

How  small,  and  weak,  and  helpless  she  had 
looked  as  she  lay  in  his  arms,  her  glorious  hair  un 
bound,  matted  and  tangled,  her  dress  soaking  with 
water,  rent  and  torn,  the  bosom  torn  open,  the 
glove  gone  from  one  little  hand.  His  heart  yearned 
toward  her  as  a  mother's  heart  turns  to  her  weaned 
child.  There  was  protection  as  well  as  adoration  in 
his  soul. 

O  God !  he  prayed,  if  she  could  only  be  spared ; 
if  she  should  take  no  harm  from  this  wild  ride. 

At  every  possible  moment  he  inquired  for  her, 
until  Evelyn  forbade  him  the  cabin;  and  so,  in 
piteous  anxiety  and  dreadful  foreboding,  the  long 
night  wore  away  for  him. 

And  yet  there  was  a  joy  in  the  very  presence, 
upon  his  own  ship,  of  the  maiden  he  loved.  He 
could  sympathize  with  his  friend,  and  understand 
the  glad  light  in  his  face,  and  the  joyful  thrill  in 
his  voice,  when  he  spoke  of  Evelyn  remaining  with 
them.  The  two  men  were  like  boys  in  their  buoy 
ant  happiness,  and  in  longing  for  the  morrow 
thought  nothing  of  the  dangers  and  difficulties 
entailed  upon  them  by  the  presence  of  women  on  a 
ship  whose  sole  mission  was  to  fight,  whose  only 
end  and  aim  was  bloodshed  and  destruction. 


196 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

New  Duties  for   William  Cotton 

IT  was  near  daybreak  before  they  succeeded  in 
getting  the  last  of  the  prisoners  upon  the  shore. 
The  rain  had  ceased  for  some  time,  and  the  wind 
had  gradually  abated,  though  it  was  still  a  fine 
steady  breeze.  As  soon  as  the  day  broke,  and 
enough  light  was  afforded  the  men  on  the  ship  to 
see  properly,  the  body  of  the  unfortunate  Badely, 
which  had  hitherto  been  unnoticed,  owing  to  the 
darkness  and  hurry,  was  discovered  by  the  horrified 
crew.  It  was  at  once  lowered  to  the  deck,  and  then 
sewed  up  in  a  weighted  hammock,  and  dropped  into 
the  sea,  Fairford  himself,  in  default  of  a  chaplain, 
reading  the  service. 

The  man  had  never  been  popular  with  those  mem 
bers  of  the  crew  of  the  Narragansett,  who  had 
known  him  as  a  deserter  upon  the  Constitution; 
they  never  forgot  that  he  was  an  Englishman,  who 
had  fought  against  his  flag,  though,  on  account  of 
the  circumstances  attending  his  case,  they  had  par 
tially  condoned  his  fault.  Nevertheless,  a  certain 
pity  for  his  untimely  and  disgraceful  end  filled  the 
hearts  of  the  men.  Some  of  them  remembered  the 
burden  of  his  complaint,  that  he  had  been  kidnapped 
by  a  press  gang  on  his  wedding  day,  "An"  Polly 
lyin'  swoondin'  on  the  beach."  She  had  waited  and 

197 


•  FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

watched  for  him  a  long  time,  and  now  he  could 
never  go  back  to  her. 

Below,  in  the  sick  bay,  young  Martin  was  found. 
He  had  always  been  popular  among  all  who  knew 
him,  on  account  of  his  cheerful,  pleasant  ways.  As 
the  rugged  seamen  looked  at  him  as  he  lay  on  his 
face  in  a  hammock  —  though  his  back  was  not  an 
unusual  sight  —  tears  of  pity  and  bitterness  welled 
up  in  many  an  eye,  and  anger  and  determination 
filled  every  heart.  Beside  the  hammock  in  which 
the  hapless  man  lay  moaning  they  made  new  resolu 
tions  or  sternly  renewed  old  vows,  in  a  way  which 
boded  ill  for  those  sailing  under  the  English  flag 
who  crossed  their  pathway.  When,  later  on,  they 
learned  of  old  Martin's  fate,  the  name  of  that  martyr 
became  a  watchword,  and  the  favorite  war-cry  of 
the  men  was  "  Remember  Martin  !  " 

As  soon  as  the  sun  was  fairly  risen,  Fairford 
directed  that  the  anchor  be  weighed,  and  the  ship 
was  soon  sailing  through  the  channel  between  the 
island  and  the  shore,  passing  the  sullen  Englishmen 
clustered  upon  the  rocks,  regarding  them,  and  finally, 
through  the  wide  mouth  at  the  other  end  of  the 
channel,  coming  out  into  the  broad  expanse  of 
the  great  bay.  Eagerly  the  two  officers  swept  the 
horizon.  There  was  not  a  sail  in  sight.  So  far 
their  venture  had  been  a  wonderful  success. 

The  wind  was  now  scarcely  more  than  a  whole 
sail  breeze,  and  the  ship  was  soon  covered  with 
clouds  of  new  and  snowy  canvas  by  the  eager  men. 
Everything  from  the  main  royal  down  was  rap  full, 
and  doing  its  work.  The  speed  of  the  vessel  was 
marvellous;  and  when  she  felt  the  full  effect  of  the 

198 


NEW   DUTIES   FOR  WILLIAM   COTTON 

breeze,    she   heeled   over   and   took  a  bone  in  her 
teeth,  fairly  flying  through  the  water. 

"  Whip  along,  you  old  bucket.  Heave  ahead,  ye 
water  witch,  that 's  a  pace  for  ye,"  said  old  Rhodes, 
leaning  over  the  lee  cathead,  and  looking  down  at 
the  boiling  smother  of  foam  tossed  aside  by  the 
sharp  cutwater,  and  thrown  up  by  the  spring  of  the 
bow.  "It'll  have  to  be  a  good  one  that  you  can't 
overhaul  at  this  pace." 

"  What 's  she  makin',  d'  ye  think,  Joe  ?  "  asked  one 
of  the  forecastle  men,  —  "  eleven  ?  " 

"Twelve,  mate,  twelve  knots  an'  more,  if  she's 
makin'  one,"  said  the  old  seaman,  looking  critically 
at  the  whirling  green  water  rushing  alongside. 

"She's  a  flyer,  an'  no  mistake,"  said  one. 

"Ay,"  said  another,  "she'll  have  to  be  a  good 
one  that  will  ketch  us." 

"'T ain't  that  way  I  'd  put  it,"  answered  Rhodes; 
"it'll  have  to  be  a  good  one  that  we  can't  ketch. 
We're  out  here  to  run  after,  not  from,  things,  in 
this  old  hooker." 

"Do  you  think  we'll  get  any  prize  money  this 
cruise,  Mister  Rhodes?"  piped  little  William 
Cotton,  late  of  the  Constitution,  who,  with  his 
usual  precociousness,  had  intruded  himself  into  the 
centre  of  a  group  of  veterans,  a  thing  no  other  boy 
on  the  ship  dared  to  do. 

"Prize  money,  you  young  swab,  you,"  Rhodes 
said,  grimly,  lifting  him  by  the  back  of  his  jacket. 
"If  you  ain't  the  most  mer  —  mer  —  what  is  the 
word,  shipmates?" 

" Mercenarious,  ain't  it?"  said  the  literary  light 
of  the  forecastle. 

199 


"Ay,  that 's  it.  Thankee,  mate.  If  you  ain't  the 
most  mercenarious  little  cuss  I  ever  did  see.  Can't 
you  fight  for  nothin'  but  money?  Wot  did  ye  do 
with  your  last  prize  money  you  got  on  the  Constitu 
tion? —  spent  it  all  in  foolishness,  I  '11  bet." 

"I  guv  it  to  my  mother,  sir.  Did  you  give  yours 
any  you  got?  "  said  the  boy,  boldly. 

"Lord,  now  did  ye,"  said  old  Rhodes,  laying  his 
big  hand  protectingly  on  the  boy's  head;  "that  was 
nice  on  you.  I  ain't  had  no  mother  since  I  was 
born.  Folks  as  knows  me  told  me  I  had  one  then, 
an'  I  guess  'twas  true  —  but  it  was  a  long  time  ago, 
an'  I  'm  not  rightly  sure  of  it,  though.  Not  many 
sailor  men  thinks  much  about  their  mothers,  any 
way,  I  'm  afeard." 

"Billy,  ye 're  wanted  aft,"  said  one  of  the  sea 
men,  springing  up  on  the  forecastle;  "cap'n  wants 
to  see  ye." 

"Come  this  way,  youngster,"  said  Fairford,  smil 
ing  kindly  as  the  boy  stopped  before  him  and  ner 
vously  saluted.  "  How  old  are  you  ?  " 

"  Fourteen,  sir." 

"Do  you  think  you  could  wait  on  the  two  ladies 
in  the  cabin  while  they  are  on  the  ship?  " 

"I  guess  so,  sir,"  said  the  boy;  "I  never  did 
none  of  it,  but  I  'm  willin'  to  try  if  they  're  willin'  to 
have  me,  an'  if  it  don't  prevent  me  from  fightin',  an' 
if  I  git  my  prize  money  reg'lar  just  the  same,  sir." 

"  Come  along,  then.  You  may  fight  and  get  your 
prize  money  too,"  said  the  captain,  laughing;  and, 
descending  the  ladder,  followed  by  the  boy,  he 
knocked  softly  at  the  door  of  the  cabin,  his  own 
cabin  now,  by  the  way. 

200 


NEW   DUTIES  FOR  WILLIAM   COTTON 

Sir  James  opened  it  cautiously. 

"  How  is  she  ?  "  said  Fairford,  in  deep  agitation, 
it  being  perhaps  two  hours  since  he  had  dared  to 
ask,  after  Evelyn's  last  order. 

"Sh — "  said  Evelyn,  just  behind  Sir  James,  and 
laying  her  finger  upon  her  lips,  "  I  told  you  not  to 
come  here  and  disturb  us;  a  nice  example  of  obedi 
ence  you  set  your  officers;  don't  speak  so  loud,  she 
might  hear  you.  She  is  asleep  now.  The  fever 
has  gone  down.  When  she  wakes,  I  think  she  will 
be  all  right  again,  save  for  her  weariness.  I  don't 
believe  she  will  even  have  a  cold." 

"  Evelyn,  who  is  most  proficient  in  nursing,  has 
taken  excellent  care  of  her,"  said  Sir  James. 

"  Did  she  —  did  she  —  know  you  before  she  went 
to  sleep?"  asked  Fairford. 

"Not  at  first,  but  afterward,  yes,"  answered 
Evelyn. 

"What  did  she  say?  Did  she  mention  me?"  he 
questioned,  blushing  furiously. 

"  To  tell  you  that  would  be  betraying  confidence, 
I  think,"  replied  the  English  girl,  gravely;  "she 
may  tell  you  herself,  later,"  she  added,  smiling.  In 
which  assurance  he  got  what  consolation  he  could. 

"Well,  this,"  said  Fairford,  after  a  moment's 
hesitation,  hauling  the  boy  into  view,  "is  Master 
William  Cotton,  commonly  called  Billy.  I  have 
detailed  him  to  wait  upon  you  so  long, as  you  are  our 
guests. " 

"All  right,"  said  Evelyn,  looking  kindly  at  the 
agitated  boy,  "I  am  sure  he  will  do  very  nicely." 
Whereupon  he  became  her  devoted  slave  forever. 

"  I  hope,  Fairford,  that  you  can  see  some  way  of 
201 


FOR   THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

putting  us  ashore  or  transshipping  us.  I  confess  I 
have  no  wish  to  make  a  cruise  under  the  American 
flag,  meaning  no  disrespect  to  it,  of  course." 

"I  understand  you,  Sir  James.  I  will  certainly 
do  what  I  can,  though  what  that  will  be  I  hardly 
foresee;  but  don't  worry,  you  may  get  on  an  Eng 
lish  ship  before  we  leave  the  bay,"  he  added  gravely; 
"we  are  by  no  means  escaped  yet." 

"Not  that  way,  I  hope/'  said  Evelyn,  impulsively, 
observing  his  deep  anxiety,  and  losing  sight  of  her 
country  in  her  friendship. 

Fairford  thanked  her  with  a  grateful  glance,  and 
turned  away,  saying:  — 

"I  must  go  on  deck  again,  and  relieve  Ludlow. 
The  weather  bids  fair  to  be  lovely,  and  you  and 
Miss  Heathcote  must  come  out  on  deck,  Sir  James, 
after  breakfast,  which  Billy  will  bring  you;  we'll 
do  our  best  for  you  in  that  line,  but  just  at  first  that 
won't  be  much.  Do  you  suppose  that  Margaret 
would  come  too,  later  on,  if  she  is  able?" 

"She  will  be,"  said  Evelyn,  promptly,  "and  then 
we  can  all  enjoy  this  glorious  morning  while  we 
have  the  chance." 


202 


CHAPTER   XXX 
Safe  at  Sea 

TOWARD  evening  the  ship  neared  the  mouth  of 
the  bay.  She  had  been  hugging  the  east 
shore  closely,  and  when  she  finally  shot  fairly  out 
into  the  bay  to  weather  Cape  Charles,  Fairford  and 
Ludlow  swept  the  open  with  their  glasses.  Over  in 
Lynn  Haven  Bay,  far  to  the  south  of  them,  a  num 
ber  of  ships  were  lying  at  anchor  in  a  little  cluster; 
one  of  them  —  evidently  the  man-of-war  brig  which 
had  pursued  them  —  was  hove  to.  A  small  frigate 
was  getting  under  way.  Far  out  to  sea  the  sails  of 
two  ships  were  barely  visible,  the  ships  being  hull 
down  beneath  the  horizon. 

On  the  side  of  the  bay  nearest  to  which  they 
were,  and  where  Fairford  proposed  to  pass,  was  a 
small  schooner,  a  patrol  boat,  evidently,  flying  the 
English  flag.  The  carelessness  which  had  pervaded 
the  anchor  watches  had  extended  to  the  fleet.  The 
English  commanders  had  no  suspicion  but  that  the 
Narragansett  had  already  got  to  sea.  The  two 
cruisers  in  the  offing  had  been  despatched  in  pur 
suit,  and  therefore  but  two  of  the  ships  in  the  bay 
were  ready  for  action,  and  they  only  by  chance. 

The  hour  which  was  to  determine  the  final  suc 
cess  of  their  bold  adventure  had  now  arrived. 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

All  of  the  little  party  were  on  deck.  Margaret, 
pale  and  languid  after  her  night's  experience, 
though  already  beginning  to  recover  from  it,  with 
the  recuperative  elasticity  of  youth,  was  sitting  in 
a  chair  which  had  been  provided  by  the  already 
devoted  William.  Evelyn  and  Sir  James  walked 
the  deck  at  her  side.  The  low  afternoon  sun  shone 
across  the  broad  expanse  of  water,  crowning,  with  a 
crest  of  sparkling  silver,  each  whitecapped  wave, 
as  far  as  eye  could  see.  The  new  vessel  was  like 
an  exquisite  picture,  and  the  off-shore  breeze  sang 
merrily  through  the  rigging  as  the  ship  bowed  and 
curtsied  beneath  its  mighty  caress;  but  the  hearts 
of  the  two  women  were  filled  with  sadness. 

Whenever  Evelyn  closed  her  eyes,  she  could  see 
the  disordered  cabin,  the  dead  body  of  the  English 
lieutenant,  with  whom  she  had  laughed  and  jested, 
lying  at  her  feet.  The  frightful  experiences  of  the 
morning  had  shocked  her  greatly,  for  a  thin  bulk 
head  was  all  that  had  separated  her,  a  pitying 
woman,  from  the  horrors  of  Martin's  punishment 
and  Cunningham's  death.  She  had  been  as  close  to 
these  agonies  as  comedy  is  to  tragedy,  as  purity  to 
shame,  in  life.  It  was  only  by  force  that  Sir  James 
had  kept  her  from  rushing  out  and  interfering.  All 
these  things  had  unnerved  her,  and  robbed  her 
rounded  cheek  of  some  of  its  usual  bloom.  Alas ! 
she  thought,  that  people  who  read  the  same  Bible, 
sing  the  same  songs,  laugh  at  the  same  jests,  and  in 
their  hours  of  agony  call  upon  the  same  God,  should 
have  recourse  to  barbarous,  brutal  war  to  settle 
differences  which  should  have  never  arisen.  Al 
though  in  commission  but  a  few  days,  upon  the 

204 


SAFE   AT   SEA 

decks  of  the  frigate  had  already  been  poured  liba 
tions  of  blood. 

Margaret's  griefs  were  so  tempered  with  joy  that 
at  times  she  forgot  them.  Her  chief  cause  of 
anxiety  lay  in  her  vivid  appreciation  of  the  suspense 
under  which  her  father  would  be  until  she  could  get 
word  of  her  safety  to  him.  When  that  might  be  no 
one  could  tell.  Tears  sprang  to  her  eyes  from  time 
to  time,  as  she  thought  of  her  old  playfellow,  the 
gallant  Clifford ;  but  in  the  safety  of  the  ship,  in 
the  presence  of  her  lover,  she  found  compensation 
for  these. 

She  eagerly  watched  him  walking  to  and  fro,  con 
sulting  with  Ludlow,  or  giving  directions  about  the 
movements  of  the  ship  —  so  proud,  so  strong,  so 
masterful;  the  very  sight  of  him  was  as  a  tonic  to 
her.  She  luxuriated  in  the  thought  that  she  had 
saved  him  —  he  was  hers  now.  She  speedily  rallied 
from  the  consequences  of  her  last  night's  experi 
ences,  and  the  color  began  to  steal  back  to  her  cheek 
again.  Evelyn's  wardrobe,  which  had  been  cheer 
fully  offered,  had  been  levied  upon  to  enable  Mar 
garet  to  discard  her  bedraggled  apparel,  and  the  deft 
fingers  of  the  two  girls  had  easily  adapted  the 
articles  selected  to  the  use  required. 

Fairford  and  Ludlow  were  earnestly  talking 
together  as  the  ship  came  out  in  the  open. 

"  I  shall  hug  the  shore  to  port  here  as  closely  as 
I  dare,  on  account  of  the  shoal  water,"  said  Fair- 
ford.  "  We  can't  pay  much  attention  to  the  schooner 
on  the  port  bow. " 

"Certainly  not,"  replied  Ludlow;  "none  of  the 
•ships  over  there  will  be  able  to  get  under  way  quick 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

enough  to  overhaul  us,  except  that  small  frigate  up 
toward  the  river.  If  she  gets  within  range,  she  may 
cripple  us  and  enable  the  other  ships  to  close." 

"Ay,"  agreed  Fairford,  "and  the  brig  we  may 
also  leave  out  of  our  calculations;  she's  slow, 
probably,  like  most  of  those  war  brigs,  and  would 
not  dare  come  near  us  unless  we  are  crippled." 

"  What  about  those  two  out  there  ? "  asked  Lud- 
low,  pointing  to  the  offing. 

"Let  us  once  get  clear  of  this  end  of  the  tangle, 
and  I  think  we  can  manage  that  one  all  right. 
Besides,  they  are  so  far  away  it  would  be  nightfall 
before  they  could  possibly  get  in  range.  I  suspect 
one  of  them  is  our  pursuer  of  last  night;  but  she  '11 
have  to  go  faster  than  she  did  then  to  catch  this 
bark.  Get  the  men  at  the  braces,  Mr.  Ludlow," 
continued  the  captain,  resuming  his  quarter-deck 
manner;  "station  some  of  the  oldest  and  trustiest  at 
the  wheel.  Better  assign  some  of  the  best  to  the 
guns  temporarily  as  well.  It 's  a  pity  we  have  only 
enough  for  the  long  twenty-fours  at  present.  Then 
take  your  station  on  the  forecastle,  and  give  me  a 
sharp  word  about  everything  which  you  observe." 

While  these  commands  were  being  obeyed,  the 
Narragansett  had  been  sighted,  and  the  surprised 
English  ships  had  suddenly  awakened  to  life.  Over 
across  the  bay  the  frigate  had  filled  away  at  once, 
come  by  the  wind,  and  was  beating  up  toward  them, 
followed  by  the  brig.  Signals  were  flying  on  the 
flagship,  a  huge  liner,  and  what  they  had  lost  by 
negligence  the  English  bade  fair  to  recover  by  their 
prompt  manoeuvring.  Some  of  the  other  ships 
were  evidently  weighing  anchor  in  obedience  to  the 

206 


SAFE   AT   SEA 

signal,  and  their  yards  were  soon  covered  with  can 
vas  as  they  got  under  way  gradually,  and  followed 
the  other  two  vessels. 

The  lieutenant  commanding  the  patrol  boat  also 
awakened  to  action  promptly,  and  the  smart  schooner, 
handily  sailed,  was  headed  across  the  supposed  path 
of  the  American  ship.  A  seaman  had  been  sta 
tioned  in  the  main  chains  of  the  Narragansett  as 
soon  as  the  water  began  to  shoal,  and  was  heaving 
lead.  Whirling  the  heavy  piece  of  metal  on  the  end 
of  the  leadline  around  his  head  in  great  vertical 
circles  with  all  the  force  of  his  arm,  he  threw  it 
upward  and  forward  through  the  air,  in  a  graceful 
curve,  until  it  struck  the  water,  and  sank  rapidly  to 
the  bottom.  As  the  speedy  ship  drew  past  the  up 
and  down  line,  the  leadsman  announced  the  depth 
of  the  water,  which  was  shoaling  rapidly. 

The  Narragansett,  deeply  laden  for  a  long  cruise, 
drew  about  sixteen  feet  of  water  forward ;  she  was  a 
rather  large  frigate  for  her  class,  being  of  about 
eleven  hundred  tons  burden.  Fairford  was  sailing 
over  one  of  the  great  banks  of  sand  that  have  been 
the  terror  of  mariners  in  these  waters  from  time 
immemorial.  The  ordinary  ship-channel  was  far 
over  to  starboard ;  but  Fairford,  not  daring  to 
change  the  direction  of  his  ship  for  fear  of  falling 
into  the  open  arms  of  the  English  fleet,  steadily 
held  his  course.  Salvation  or  freedom  were  that 
way  or  not  at  all ;  and  a  wrecked  ship  were  far 
better  than  a  recaptured  one.  Meanwhile,  every 
expedient  that  could  be  thought  of  to  increase  the 
speed  of  the  ship  had  been  tried.  Tackles  had  been 
clapped  on  the  running  gear,  the  sheets  had  been 

207 


FOR   THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

hauled  home,  and  the  yards  mastheaded  to  the 
extremest  limit,  until  the  sails  set  like  boards. 
Whips  had  been  rigged,  and  every  sail  was  kept 
well  wetted  down  so  as  to  lose  not  even  a  capful  of 
\vind. 

"If  I  can  only  get  clear  of  that  frigate,"  said 
Fairford  to  himself,  "before  she  gets  within  range, 
or  drive  her  off  before  she  can  do  any  damage  after 
she  does,  I  shall  have  a  chance.  Thank  goodness, 
•we 're  the  heavier  ship.  Those  fellows  over  in  the 
bay  there  are  out  of  the  game,  and  with  the  whole 
sea  to  manoeuvre  in,  and  night  coming  on,-  we  can 
manage  to  escape  those  two  yonder,  I  think." 

The  two  ships  at  sea,  previously  uncertain  as  to 
his  movements,  were  now  attempting  to  close  in 
upon  him,  but  they  were  still  hull  down  beneath 
the  horizon. 

"  What  are  you  afraid  of,  Blake  ? "  asked  Mar 
garet,  looking  up  at  him  as  he  happened  to  turn 
and  face  her. 

"Of  nothing.  That  is,  nothing  for  myself — - 
unless  it 's  you." 

"  Never  mind  me  —  what  do  you  anticipate,  I 
mean  ?  Shall  we  be  able  to  get  away  from  those 
ships?" 

"I  hope  not,"  interrupted  Sir  James,  ungra 
ciously;  "this  cruise  cannot  end  any  too  soon  for 
me." 

"Why,"  said  Fairford,  "if  that  frigate  out  yonder 
succeeds  in  getting  near  enough  to  us  to  damage  a 
spar  or  carry  away  a  mast,  she  can  hold  us  in  play, 
and  we  will  be  delayed  until  the  others  come  up  and 
•capture  us." 

208 


SAFE   AT   SEA 

"Can't  you  drive  off  that  smaller  ship  with  this 
larger  one  ? " 

"Certainly,"  replied  Fairford,  smiling;  "but  you 
must  remember  that  one  little  wounded  spar  might 
cause  our  capture  by  the  others." 

"I  see,"  murmured  Margaret,  thoughtfully. 

"And  this  one  over  here,  to  the  left?"  queried 
Evelyn. 

"  Well,  we  have  not  worried  about  her  heretofore, 
though  she  does  appear  to  loom  up  rather  pluckily. 
I  hardly  think  she  can  do  much  damage,  though  — 
but  now  I  must  go  to  my  duties.  Sir  James,  you 
will  surely  take  the  two  ladies  below  if  the  bullets 
begin  to  fly? " 

"All  right,  I  '11  take  care  of  them;  but  if  you  will 
surrender  this  ship  to  me  now,  as  His  Majesty's 
representative, — you  can  hardly  escape,  you  know, 
—  I  will  insure  your  good  treatment  on  parole  and 
speedy  return  home  by  exchange." 

"Sir,"  replied  Fairford,  turning  proudly  away, 
"we  did  not  cut  out  this  ship  for  the  purpose  of 
surrendering  her,  and  we  are  by  no  means  captured 
yet." 

The  schooner  was  nearing  them  rapidly.  Sud 
denly  her  commander  threw  her  up  into  the  wind, 
'and  hove  to,  instead  of  crossing  the  bows  of  the 
onrushing  frigate,  as  he  had  intended,  judging  that 
the  shoal  water  into  which  she  was  running  would 
cause  Fairford  to  shift  his  helm  in  order  to  head 
toward  the  open  sea.  The  American  vessel  would 
therefore  necessarily  pass  within  a  short  distance  of 
him;  and  though  her  broadside  would  probably  sink 
him,  yet  he  was  willing  to  sacrifice  himself  in  the 
J4  209 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

hope  that  a  lucky  shot  might  cripple  his  huge 
antagonist,  and  so  throw  her  into  the  arms  of  the 
squadron.  It  was  a  bold,  a  desperate  manoeuvre, 
and  it  was  met  with  an  equally  bold  reply.  The 
Narragansett  rapidly  drew  up  as  if  to  pass  the 
schooner. 

"Shall  I  send  the  men  to  the  port  battery,  sir," 
called  Ludlow,  uneasily. 

"Never  mind  the  battery,  sir.  We  won't  use  it 
on  this  little  fellow,"  answered  Fairford,  leaning 
over  the  break  of  the  poop,  and  looking  ahead. 

The  captain  then  directed  the  quartermaster  at 
the  wheel  to  cross  his  order,  and  shift  the  helm  in 
the  direction  opposite  to  the  command  which  would 
be  given ;  that  is,  if  the  helm  were  ordered  to  star 
board  it  was  to  be  put  to  port,  or  vice  versa.  The 
Narragansett  was  very  near  the  schooner  now.  The 
men  on  the  latter  could  be  seen  plainly  upon  her 
flush  deck,  with  its  low  rail.  They  were  clustered 
about  the  six-pounders  and  the  long  twelve  on  a 
pivot  forward,  with  which  she  was  armed.  What 
was  the  frigate  about  to  do?  Why  didn't  the 
Yankee  change  his  course,  thought  the  Englishman. 

"Ah  !  now  is  the  time,"  he  ejaculated,  as  he  heard 
the  expected  order  given  loudly. 

"Port!     Hard  a  port!" 

Anticipating  that  the  Narragansett  would  turn 
away  and  bring  her  broadside  to  bear  upon  him,  he 
had  instructed  his  men  to  aim  high  and  try  to  cut  a 
spar. 

"Standby!"  he  shouted. 

To  his  astonishment,  the  unexpected  suddenly 
happened.  Instead  of  swinging  to  starboard  in 

2IO 


SAFE   AT   SEA 

accordance  with  the  order  he  had  heard,  and  heading 
out  for  the  bay,  the  great  bows  of  the  frigate  turned 
swiftly,  and  came  rushing  down  at  full  speed  upon 
him. 

There  was  a  moment  of  intense  confusion  on 
board  the  English  schooner  at  this  desperate  move. 
The  captain  himself  sprang  to  the  wheel,  shouting 
orders;  the  booms  of  the  schooner  were  swung  out; 
but  she  hung  in  the  wind,  and  gathered  headway  so 
slowly  that  the  Narragansett,  going  at  full  speed, 
crashed  irresistibly  into  her.  An  opportune  wave  at 
the  moment  of  impact  lifted  the  frigate's  bow,  and 
her  sharp  cut-water  drove  through  the  frail  schooner 
like  a  knife.  The  startled  English  crew,  dazed  by 
the  suddenness  of  the  manoeuvre,  and  the  contra 
dictory  orders  they  had  received,  had  neglected 
their  opportunity;  and  the  only  gun  fired  was  the 
long  Tom,  the  shot  from  which  carried  away  one  of 
the  quarter-boats  of  the  frigate,  but  did  no  other 
damage. 

The  English  captain,  filled  with  rage  and  despair 
at  this  bitter  ending  of  his  fruitless  sacrifice,  snapped 
a  pistol  at  the  head  of  a  man  leaning  out  over  the 
taffrail  aft,  as  the  Narragansett,  forging  ahead,  first 
clove  asunder,  and  then  ran  completely  over  the 
little  schooner,  driving  the  shattered  halves  away  on 
either  side.  The  bullet  struck  Sir  James  full  in 
the  face.  He  pitched  forward,  dead,  without  a 
word,  and  fell  from  the  ship  down  upon  the  shattered 
piece  of  wreckage  in  the  water,  upon  which  the 
English  captain  had  stood.  Evelyn  and  Margaret 
screamed  wildly. 

"Sir  James,  Sir  James!"  cried  the  former;  "he 


FOR   THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

has  fallen  into  the  sea!  Stop  the  ship!  Lower  a 
boat ! "  But  Fairford,  who  had  been  standing  near 
enough  to  see  that  the  bullet  had  struck  Sir  James, 
knew  that  his  cruise,  under  any  flag,  was  ended  for 
ever,  and  shook  his  head  in  denial.  Had  there  been 
a  thousand  men  struggling  in  the  water  at  the 
moment,  he  would  have  paid  no  heed. 

The  Narragansett,  although  she  had  sustained 
some  damage  forward,  was  still  rushing  ahead. 
The  other  frigate,  a  rapid  sailer,  was  coming  down 
upon  them  with  tremendous  speed.  To  stop  or  to 
change  the  course  would  be  to  invite  an  open  con 
flict  and  certain  recapture.  How  far  the  shoals 
extended  out  across  his  path  he  did  not  know, 
though  it  was  evident  that  he  would  soon  ascertain. 
He  sprang  back  to  the  weather  side  again,  paying 
no  heed  to  the  trembling  women,  whose  very  exist 
ence  he  seemed  to  forget.  Every  instinct  of  the 
sailor  was  now  roused  in  him.  He  jumped  up  on 
the  rail,  and  then  stepped  upon  the  sheer  ratlines 
again,  and  leaned  far  out  to  watch  the  sea.  The 
lead  whirled  in  dangerous  proximity  to  his  head, 
but  he  heeded  it  not.  The  monotonous  song  of  the 
man  in  the  chains  heaving  it  rang  in  his  ear 
menacingly. 

"  By  the  mark  —  five,  by  the  deep  —  four,  and  a 
quarter  less  four,  and  a  half  three,  by  the  mark  — 
three."  That  meant  but  a  few  inches  of  clear 
water,  a  few  inches  between  life  and  death,  safety 
and  destruction,  beneath  the  keel ;  but  he  could  not 
change  the  course,  whatever  the  depth  of  water;  he 
must  hold  on  as  he  was;  the  lead  was  useless  to 
him. 


THE    ENGLISH    CAPTAIN,    FILLED    WITH    RAGE    AND    DESPAIR, 

SNAPPED  HIS  PISTOL. — Page  212. 


SAFE  AT   SEA 

"Forward,  there;  take  that  man  out  of  the 
chains,"  he  shouted.  "He  only  intimidates  me 
with  his  soundings." 

The  shallow  water  was  now  boiling  and  foaming 
about  the  bows  of  the  ship. 

"She  shoals,  she  shoals,"  shouted  Ludlow,  fran 
tically,  from  the  forecastle.  "  Port  the  helm  — 
hard-a-port ! " 

"Avast!"  cried  Fairford,  promptly ;  "steady  with 
the  helm  !  Keep  her  as  she  is." 

At  this  moment  a  low  shudder  ran  through  the 
ship,  followed  by  a  violent  shock. 

"She  strikes,  she  strikes,"  screamed  the  men 
forward.  Then  the  foretop-gallant  mast  carried 
away  with  a  mighty  crash. 

"Aloft,  some  of  you,  and  clear  away  the  wreck," 
shouted  Fairford,  promptly,  but  making  no  other 
sign. 

Her  speed  at  once  diminished;  slower  and  slower 
she  went.  The  other  stays  and  masts  creaked  and 
groaned  under  the  terrific  straining;  but  being 
new  and  strong,  all  the  rest  held  so  far.  She  had 
taken  ground,  but  had  not  yet  completely  lost  her 
way. 

"It's  all  over  with  us,"  thought  Fairford,  in 
despair,  as  he  saw  his  gallant  attempt  apparently 
coming  to  nought.  But  no,  not  yet  —  she  was  mov 
ing  still.  In  agonized  suspense  he  hung  over  the 
side,  looking  at  the  foaming  green  water,  discolored 
by  the  mud  and  sand  she  was  raising.  Would  she 
come  to  rest,  or  would  she  go  on?  •  The  seconds 
were  long.  Over  in  the  bay  to  starboard,  the  frigate 
was  coming  down  like  a  storm  upon  the  Narragan- 

213 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

sett,  the  other  ships  following  hard  upon  her  heels, 
or  stretching  out  across  the  entrance  to  spread  a 
broad  clew  and  enclose  the  prey  in  the  net.  With  a 
sick  heart,  and  full  of  anxiety,  Fairford  watched  the 
sea. 

Was  she  going  over  the  shoals  ?  Was  there  deep 
water  beyond?  The  motion  increased,  at  first 
slowly,  then  faster  and  faster.  Thank  God !  she 
was  certainly  going  ahead.  With  a  quiver  of  dis 
gust  at  her  contact  with  the  bottom,  she  finally 
slid  into  deep  water  again.  Ludlow  and  the 
man  who  had  been  watching  with  him  broke  into 
cheers.  Hurrah !  There  was  still  a  chance  for 
freedom. 

The  oncoming  frigate  was  now  in  range  of  the 
guns  on  the  main  deck.  He  would  try  a  shot  from 
the  long  twenty-fours  in  the  battery.  Old  Bill 
Thompson,  the  best  shot  of  the  crew,  took  long  and 
careful  aim  before  he  fired.  When  the  smoke 
cleared  away  there  was  a  rent  in  the  foresail  of  the 
pursuer.  The  men  cheered  loudly,  and  the  Eng 
lishman  closed  in  steadily,  his  eighteens  not  yet 
within  range.  The  next  shot  passed  across  his 
bows,  cutting  the  forestay ;  he  was  nearer  now,  and 
pluckily  holding  on.  The  third  shot  carried  away 
the  foretop-gallant  mast. 

By  this  time  a  half-dozen  guns  in  the  battery  had 
been  manned  by  the  improvised  crews,  and  a  perfect 
rain  of  solid  shot,  which  was  poured  upon  her,  and 
to  which  she  could  not  respond,  carried  away  more 
head  sail,  and  finally  put  the  little  frigate,  which 
had  been  so  gallantly  handled,  hopelessly  out  of  the 
running.  Falling  off,  she  drifted  away,  firing  harm- 

214 


SAFE  AT   SEA 

less   broadsides   the   while  from  her  smaller  guns. 
The  way  to  the  sea  was  open.     The   Narragansett 
was  soon  rolling  in  the  deep  swell  of  the  ocean. 
There  was  nothing  afloat  that  could  catch  her. 
At  last  they  were  free ! 


V 


THE   CRUISE   OF   THE   NARRAGAN- 
SETT 


217 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
Fairford  Picks  up  a  Crew 

BY  the  time  the  Narragansett  got  well  clear  of  the 
Capes  from  which  she  took  her  departure,  the 
night  had  fallen.  As  soon  as  it  became  entirely  dark, 
she  bore  up  to  the  northeast  on  the  port  tack,  hop 
ing  to  elude  the  British  ships  from  Lynn  Haven  Bay 
which  had  stretched  out  in  determined  pursuit,  and 
the  ships  at  sea,  which  had  been  closing  in  as  well. 
The  wrecked  foretop-gallant  mast  had  been  previ 
ously  replaced,  and  the  ship  was  doing  everything 
that  humanity  could  ask  of  wood  and  canvas.  She 
slipped  through  the  water  with  the  grace  of  a  swan 
and  the  speed  of  a  swallow. 

As  the  night  wore  away,  one  by  one  the  lights  on 
the  pursuing  ships  gradually  receded  and  disappeared 
in  the  moonless  darkness  about  the  horizon.  Fairford 
and  Ludlow  both  remained  on  the  deck  constantly, 
neglecting  no  precaution  which  their  skill  and  experi 
ence  could  dictate  to  ensure  the  escape  of  the  frigate, 
which  delighted  them  with  the  revelation  she  was 
making  of  her  marvellous  speed  and  seaworthy  quali 
ties.  In  spite  of  the  tremendous  pace,  as  Rhodes  the 
theological  expert  said,  her  decks  were  "  as  dry  as  a 
church  floor  or  a  parson's  sermon."  During  the  night 
the  tired  crew  slept  where  they  could  about  the  decks, 
but  responded  to  every  demand  made  upon  them  by 
their  officers  with  cheerful  alacrity. 

219 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

It  was  Fairford's  present  purpose  boldly  to  en 
deavor  to  pass  the  blockading  ships  before  the  port, 
and  enter  Boston  harbor,  where  he  hoped  to  complete 
his  crew  and  then  get  to  sea  again.  His  situation  was 
still  somewhat  precarious.  To  properly  man  her  the 
Narragansett  required  a  crew  of  over  three  hundred, 
with  officers  corresponding;  he  had  less  than  a  hun 
dred  and  Ludlow  was  his  only  officer.  It  is  true  the 
latter  was  a  host  alone,  but  the  work  which  would  be 
devolved  upon  the  two  of  them  would  be  excessive 
and  difficult,  almost  to  a  prohibitive  degree.  He  had 
no  watch  and  division  officers,  no  sailing-master,  no 
midshipmen,  no  marines,  no  surgeon,  and  not  even  a 
surgeon's  mate. 

He  was  embarrassed  further  by  the  presence  of  the 
two  women,  and  was  of  course  in  no  condition  what 
ever  to  meet  an  enemy.  For  the  rest,  after  a  hasty 
examination,  he  found,  as  he  had  heard,  that  the  Nar 
ragansett  was  amply  provisioned  for  a  long  cruise; 
the  water  casks  were  filled,  the  magazines  thoroughly 
provided,  and  but  for  the  other  deficiencies  enumer 
ated,  he  would  have  struck  boldly  out  into  the  ocean 
on  a  cruise. 

When  the  morning  broke,  the  two  haggard  officers, 
worn  out  by  the  two  sleepless  nights  full  of  wear  and 
strain  through  which  they  had  passed,  intently  sur 
veyed  the  ocean.  In  the  direction  whence  they  had 
come  there  was  not  a  sail  in  sight,  they  had  abso 
lutely  run  away  from  them  all ;  but  forward  the  ris 
ing  sun  was  reflected  from  the  sails  of  a  large  ship, 
which  looked  like  an  armed  merchantman  or  priva 
teer  to  the  officers  who  eagerly  scanned  her  through 
their  glasses.  Whatever  she  was,  she  had  detected 

220 


FAIRFORD   PICKS  UP  A  CREW 

the  Narragansett  as  soon  as  she  had  been  seen,  and 
her  course  was  suddenly  changed  with  an  obvious 
and  most  pressing  desire  to  get  away. 

Now  it  was  no  part  of  Fairford's  plans  to  pursue 
strange  sails  at  that  time,  and  strict  prudence  would 
have  dictated  that  he  neglect  the  ship  which  had 
been  sighted  and  continue  upon  his  course.  But  the 
prospect  was  too  inviting  to  one  of  his  daring  nature, 
and  even  with  the  disadvantages  enumerated,  he  felt 
able  to  cope  with  the  force  of  the  fleeting  stranger, 
which,  it  was  seen  in  a  very  short  time,  was  no  match 
for  his  ship ;  so  he  squared  away  boldly  in  pursuit. 
About  eight  bells  in  the  early  morning  watch,  there 
fore,  he  came  within  gunshot  of  the  chase,  which  had 
been  rapidly  overhauled.  A  shot  in  front  of  her 
bows,  immediately  followed  by  one  close  across  them, 
brought  to  the  stranger.  Ludlow  boarded  her,  and  in 
a  short  time  returned  in  high  glee  with  great  news. 

"  She  is  an  English  ship,"  he  reported,  "  with  a 
hundred  and  fifty  American  prisoners  on  board  of 
her,  bound  for  England.  Most  of  them  are  captured 
privateersmen." 

Fairford  jumped  at  the  possibilities  of  the  situation 
at  once.  Here  was  an  opportunity  for  recruiting  his 
crew  which  perhaps  might  obviate  the  necessity  of 
making  a  harbor  with  the  consequent  risk  of  capture 
and  with  the  further  risk  of  a  prolonged  blockade. 
He  went  over  to  the  captured  ship  herself,  had  the 
prisoners  brought  on  deck  and  addressed  them 
briefly,  reciting  the  stirring  events  of  the  past  two 
days  to  stimulate  their  imagination  and  enkindle 
their  patriotism,  and  closed  with  a  ringing  appeal  to 
them  to  ship  with  him  for  the  cruise. 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

The  larger  proportion  of  the  delighted  men  re 
sponded  immediately,  and  eagerly  pressed  forward, 
offering  to  sign  the  muster  roll  at  once.  Among 
them  were  the  captain  and  two  lieutenants  of  a  cap 
tured  privateer — capable  men  apparently  —  who 
agreed  to  serve  as  watch  and  division  officers,  to  the 
great  relief  of  the  young  captain.  Placing  the  prize, 
the  British  crew  having  replaced  their  former  captives 
under  hatches,  in  charge  of  the  mate  of  a  merchant 
vessel  who  had  been  among  the  prisoners  and  pre 
ferred  to  return  home,  with,  instructions  to  make 
Boston  and  report  if  possible,  Fairford  trans-shipped 
the  new  men  to  the  Narragansett,  and  then  filled 
away  to  the  eastward. 

Providence  had  been  kind  to  him;  although  still 
somewhat  short  handed  the  number  he  lacked  was 
not  great  and  he  now  had  a  sufficient  crew  to  work 
the  ship  efficiently  and  man  the  guns;  and  three  ad 
ditional  officers  as  well,  who  would  require  but  little 
training  by  Ludlow  and  himself  to  enable  them  to 
perform  the  duties  of  their  new  stations  most  accept 
ably.  This  profitable  morning's  work  had  been  a 
great  relief  to  him,  and  if  he  could  only  find  a  surgeon 
in  the  flotsam  and  jetsam  of  the  sea,  his  conscience 
and  his  course  would  be  perfectly  clear. 

It  was  true  the  Americans  had  not  hitherto  required 
much  from  the  surgeons  on  their  ships  after  their 
actions  with  the  enemy,  but  one  never  knew  what 
might  happen,  and  a  doctor  appeared  to  be  an  abso 
lute  necessity.  Nevertheless,  he  abandoned  his  for 
mer  intention,  and  decided  not  to  attempt  to  make  a 
harbor,  but  to  sweep  the  sea  for  the  English.  When 
he  reached  his  ship,  the  two  girls  had  come  up  on 


FAIRFORD   PICKS   UP  A   CREW 

deck  and  were  surveying  the  prize  with  deep  interest. 
She  had  also  filled  away  and  started  back  for  Boston. 
Ludlow  had  told  them  of  the  circumstances  of  the 
capture  and  the  probable  outcome  of  it,  and  Fairford 
completed  their  information. 

"  Where  is  that  ship  going?  "  was  the  first  question 
Margaret  asked. 

"  Back  to  Boston  if  she  can  get  there,  which  is 
doubtful." 

"Oh,  why  did  n't  you  send  us  back  in  her?"  ex 
claimed  both  girls  in  concert. 

"  I  deemed  it  unsafe  to  allow  you  to  go  on  that  un 
armed  prize;  she  will  probably  be  captured  before 
she  makes  the  harbor." 

"  At  least  you  might  have  allowed  me  to  send  a 
letter  to  relieve  father,"  replied  Margaret. 

"  And  I  should  like  to  have  forwarded  one  to  Sir 
James,  Captain  Fairford,  if  by  any  chance  he  survived 
his  fall,  as  I  sincerely  hope." 

Fairford  knew  of  course  that  Sir  James  had  been 
killed,  but  he  had  mercifully  spared  Evelyn  and  al 
lowed  her  to  remain  under  the  impression  that  he  had 
merely  fallen  overboard,  and  possibly  had  been 
picked  up  from  the  floating  piece  of  wreck. 

"  It 's  not  too  late,"  he  responded  promptly,  and 
the  Narragansett,  in  obedience  to  his  orders,  was  soon 
rushing  after  the  prize  again.  Ludlow,  with  masterly 
seamanship,  brought  her  alongside,  and  both  vessels 
hove  to  once  more.  The  young  girls  descended  to 
the  cabin  to  write  their  letters  and  Fairford  availed 
himself  of  the  opportunity  to  compile  a  brief  report 
of  his  actions  for  the  Navy  Department.  The  letters 
were  soon  ready,  and  after  they  had  been  delivered 

223 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

to  the  new  master  of  the  prize,  the  two  ships  separ 
ated  again  and  each  resumed  her  course.  The  prize 
was  subsequently  recaptured,  however,  and  of  course 
the  letters  and  report  were  not  delivered. 

There  was  now  much  for  the  two  officers  to  do,  and 
little  opportunity  was  afforded  them  for  the  present 
for  conversation  with  the  two  girls,  who  indeed  found 
ample  occupation  in  overhauling  Evelyn's  wardrobe, 
and  altering  some  of  her  clothing  to  fit  the  smaller 
figure  of  Margaret.  Fairford  and  Ludlow,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  three  officers  mentioned,  divided 
the  crew,  now  numbering  nearly  two  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  into  the  two  watches,  and  rated  and  sta 
tioned  the  men  at  quarters  and  for  the  ordinary  rou 
tine  work  of  the  ship.  Muster-rolls  were  prepared 
and  signed,  and  storerooms  ransacked  for  clothing 
and  uniforms  and  the  magazines  and  provision  rooms 
more  carefully  inspected  than  before. 

The  dolphin  striker,  martingales,  bobstays,  and  one 
of  the  whisker  booms  and  the  broken  cutwater,  which 
had  been  carried  away  and  smashed  in  the  collision 
with  the  English  schooner  the  night  before,  were  re 
placed  and  repaired,  the  damage  not  being  serious. 
When  the  night  came  again  and  the  watches  were  set 
for  the  first  time  since  the  capture,  everybody  felt  that 
great  things  had  been  accomplished  toward  getting 
the  men  on  the  ship  in  the  necessary  trim  for  the 
proper  service  of  a  man-of-war. 

Leaving  the  deck  in  charge  of  Berry,  the  former 
captain  of  a  privateer,  a  gallant  young  sailor  of  good 
birth  and  breeding,  who  had  been  rated  as  acting 
second  lieutenant,  and  of  whose  qualifications  for  his 
office  Fairford  had  been  able  to  satisfy  himself  from 

224 


FAIRFORD   PICKS  UP  A  CREW 

the  observation  he  had  been  able  to  make  of  his  work 
during  the  day,  the  two  officers  after  a  brief  "  good 
night"  sought  their  cabins  for  a  much  needed  rest. 
The  original  crew  which  had  cut  out  the  Narragan- 
sett,  also  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  night  in,  as  by 
Fairford's  direction  they  kept  no  watch  until  the 
morning.  The  prisoners  from  which  the  crew  had 
been  so  opportunely  recruited  proved  themselves  a 
willing,  hardy  set  of  men,  who  easily  adapted  them 
selves  to  their  situation.  The  good  fortune  which 
had  smiled  upon  them  hitherto  had  not  yet  deserted 
them,  and  even  had  other  things  in  store  for  them. 


225 


CHAPTER   XXXII 
An  Old  Friend  Again 

IT  was  morning  again  on  this  ship  of  surprises. 
Refreshed  by  their  undisturbed  night,  after 
breakfast  the  old  Narragansetts  and  the  new  men 
from  the  prize,  who  had  scarcely  recovered  from  their 
feelings  of  joy  over  their  recapture  and  release  from 
confinement,  were  mustered  in  the  gangway.  The 
Articles  of  War  were  read  to  them,  the  oaths  were 
administered,  the  muster-roll  was  signed,  and  they 
were  regularly  entered  upon  the  ship's  papers. 

Grog  was  served,  and  immediately  after  Fairford 
beat  to  quarters  and  for  several  hours  the  crew  were 
exercised  at  the  guns,  the  drill  culminating  in  a 
short  target  practice  in  which  some  excellent  shooting 
was  displayed.  The  men  were  then  divided  into 
squads,  and  practice  with  small  arms  and  further  drill 
was  had.  Similar  exercises,  varied  with  drill  in  mak 
ing  and  taking  sail,  sending  down  and  crossing  light 
yards,  etc.,  filled  in  a  large  part  of  the  afternoon. 

Though  some  of  the  new-comers,  especially  those 
used  to  the  greater  freedom  of  the  privateer  as  com 
pared  to  a  man-of-war,  sailor-like,  grumbled  some 
what  at  the  hard  work,  the  example  of  the  older  men, 
who  could  well  appreciate  the  necessity  and  value  of 
this  labor,  and  finally  their  own  better  sense  as  well, 
enabled  them  all  to  enter  upon  their  duties  with  a 

226 


AN   OLD   FRIEND   AGAIN 

will.  The  new  officers,  who  were  of  course  familiar 
with  the  service  of  the  guns,  and  thorough  seamen  as 
well,  acceptably  filled  their  new  stations,  striving  to 
act  in  accordance  with  the  minutiae  of  regulation  and 
long  established  naval  practice  as  it  was  explained  to 
them,  with  a  zeal  which  greatly  delighted  the  captain. 

"  I  tell  you  what,  Ludlow,"  said  the  latter  to  his 
first  lieutenant,  during  a  pause  in  the  drill  on  the  fol 
lowing  morning,  "  I  'm  delighted  with  those  fellows. 
The  officers  are  doing  extremely  well  and  the  crew 
are  following  their  lead  in  first-class  style.  Let  us 
have  a  week  to  round  them  out  in,  and  I  think  we 
can  safely  tackle  anything  of  our  own  size." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  captain,  they  are  a  likely  lot 
and  will  soon  be  in  shape;  but  have  you  given  up  all 
thought  of  going  into  Boston?" 

"  Yes.  The  chances  of  our  getting  out  are  too- 
much  against  us,  and  'twould  be  no  easy  matter  to 
get  in.  If  I  could  only  pick  up  a  doctor  somewhere 
about  here  I  should  be  perfectly  satisfied." 

"What  would  your  course  be  then?"  said  Ludlow,. 
an  unusual  question  from  a  lieutenant  to  a  captain 
perhaps,  but  in  private  conversation  like  this,  the 
difference  in  station  between  the  two  friends  —  and 
there  is  a  vast  difference  in  degree  though  only  one 
in  rank,  between  the  commander  of  a  vessel  and  his 
executive  officer  —  was  largely  forgotten. 

"  I  think  in  that  case  I  would  square  away  before 
the  northeast  trades  and  make  for  the  Indian  Ocean 
around  Cape  Good  Hope.  Perhaps  once  there  we 
could  repeat  Porter's  lucky  experience  on  this  side  of 
the  South  Pacific.  There  are  lots  of  English  mer 
chant  ships  thereabouts  and  some  few  frigates  as  wells. 

227 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

I  fancy,  which  have  not  had  the  opportunity  the 
others  have  enjoyed  for  distinguishing  themselves, 
and  we  might  pick  up  a  rich  prize  or  two  and  then 
have  a  chance  to  show  that  this  frigate  was  up  to  the 
mark  set  by  Hull,  Decatur,  and  the  rest." 

"  I  think  that  would  be  an  excellent  plan,"  re 
sponded  Ludlow.  "  Very  few,  if  any,  of  our  war 
vessels  have  ever  been  in  those  waters,  at  least  not 
since  the  war  began." 

"  Sail  ho !  "  shouted  the  man  at  the  masthead. 

"  Now  it  would  be  beyond  belief,  Bob,"  said  Fair- 
ford,  smiling,  "  if  that  were  our  doctor." 

"  It  would  be  lucky,  Blake,  but  not  beyond  belief, 
•either.  I  am  ready  to  believe  anything  of  this  ship 
when  I  look  back  on  the  past  three  days." 

The  officer  of  the  deck  had  made  the  usual  inquir 
ies  of  the  lookout,  and  by  Fairford's  direction,  the 
•course  of  the  Narragansett  had  been  at  once  changed 
so  that  she  would  approach  the  stranger.  Trusting 
in  his  known  speed,  the  captain  felt  it  safe  to  take  a 
nearer  look  at  her.  The  men  who  had  been  at 
quarters,  returned  to  the  guns,  after  handling  the 
braces,  though  Fairford,  who  had  no  mind  to  risk  a 
serious  engagement  with  his  green  crew  at  this  junc 
ture,  was  more  prepared  to  run  than  to  fight  as  the 
case  might  suggest.  The  reported  sail  had  also 
changed  her  course,  evidently  having  sighted  the 
Narragansett,  and  the  two  ships  were  sailing  as 
directly  toward  each  other  as  the  wind  permitted. 

Ludlow,  glass  in  hand,  had  gone  up  to  the  cross- 
trees,  and  had  made  careful  inspection  of  the  stranger 
rapidly  nearing  them.  It  was  evident  to  him  that 
she  was  a  heavy  warship,  much  heavier  than  the 

228 


AN   OLD   FRIEND   AGAIN 

Narragansett.  Fairford  had  about  made  up  his  mind 
under  the  circumstances  to  show  her  his  heels,  and 
was  only  waiting  Ludlow's  report  before  executing 
the  necessary  manoeuvres.  When  that  officer  reached 
the  deck  therefore,  he  questioned  him  eagerly. 

"  She 's  a  large  ship,  sir,"  Ludlow  reported,  "  a 
man-of  war,  possibly  a  fifty  gun  frigate  or  a  razee. 
She  has  no  colors  flying  that  I  can  see —  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  we  can  see  that  much  from  the  deck. 
What  do  you  think  she  is?  " 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Ludlow,  hesitating,  "  it 's  hardly 
possible,  but  I  believe  she's  an  American,  and  what's 
more  —  "  He  stopped,  not  liking  to  make  a  prophecy 
whose  non-fulfilment  would  make  him  ridiculous. 
"  I  believe  it  would  be  well  for  you  to  take  a  look  at 
her  yourself,  Captain  Fairford,"  he  continued  finally. 

"  Take  the  deck,"  said  Fairford  quickly,  handing 
him  the  trumpet,  "  and  give  me  the  glass." 

He  promptly  sprang  in  the  rigging  and  was  soon 
standing  on  the  cross-trees.  The  ship  was  nearer 
now,  and  after  a  long,  careful  inspection,  he  closed 
the  glass,  and  said  to  himself  with  a  satisfied  smile, 
*'  We  won't  take  any  harm  from  that  ship."  He 
descended  to  the  deck  at  once  and  looked  at  Ludlow 
and  nodded. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  he  to  the  other  officers  who- 
had  assembled  about  him,  "  we  '11  stand  on  as  we  are, 
I  think  we  need  fear  nothing  from  the  stranger." 

44  What  is  that,  Blake?  "  asked  Margaret,  who  was 
standing  aft  with  Evelyn,  as  the  captain  turned 
around  and  glanced  at  them. 

44  A  ship,  Margaret,"   answered  Fairford,  smiling. 

44 1  see  that,  of  course,"  she  said  with  much  disdain, 
229 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

*'  but  what  are  you  about  to  do  ?  Will  we  have 
another  dreadful  battle?" 

"  Not  this  time,  I  think.  We  are  merely  going  to 
pick  up  a  doctor." 

"  Are  doctors  picked  up  in  mid-ocean  in  this  way  ?  " 
said  Evelyn,  haughtily,  the  two  girls  imagining  them 
selves  the  subjects  of  a  jest  on  the  part  of  the  captain. 

"  Sometimes,  Miss  Heathcote,"  replied  Fairford, 
smiling. 

"  Well,  since  you  get  such  wonderful  things  from 
the  ocean,  sir,"  said  Margaret,  "  could  n't  you  pick 
up  a  lady's  maid  or  two  and  some  more  clothing  for 
us?" 

"  We  certainly  do  need  some  more  bonnets,"  added 
Evelyn,  gravely. 

"  It  is  not  impossible,"  answered  the  captain.  "  I 
shall  certainly  place  at  your  disposal  the  first  I  can 
find,"  he  added,  as  he  bowed  and  turned  away. 

"  How  hateful  men  can  be,"  remarked  Margaret, 
before  he  had  escaped  out  of  earshot. 

"Yes,  especially  when  they  are  in  command," 
added  Evelyn. 

The  easy  indifference  of  the  captain  at  the  approach 
of  the  strange  sail  which,  it  was  now  evident  even  to 
the  men  upon  the  decks,  was  a  much  heavier  frigate 
than  their  own,  excited  a  great  deal  of  attention. 
They  knew  their  ship  was  in  no  condition  to  engage 
in  so  unequal  a  combat,  and  they  wondered  why  the 
captain  did  not  cut  and  run.  They  hardly  knew 
what  to  make  of  it.  The  old  Narragan setts,  however, 
had  every  confidence  not  only  in  the  courage  and 
ability  of  their  captain,  but  in  his  common  sense  as 
well,  and  like  trusting  children,  as  sailors  are,  they 

230 


AN   OLD  FRIEND  AGAIN 

told  themselves  that  "  the  old  man "  knew  what  he 
was  doing,  and  therefore  reassured  the  others. 

The  American  flag  had  been  flying  from  the  gaff 
for  some  time,  and  as  they  looked  upon  the  stranger, 
the  stars  and  stripes  broke  out  from  her  gaff  as  well. 
This  meant  nothing,  however ;  it  was  a  custom, 
perfectly  allowable,  to  sail  under  any  colors,  though 
a  necessity  to  fight  under  your  own.  Two  ships 
manoeuvring  for  position  prior  to  a  combat,  fre 
quently  displayed  all  sorts  of  colors  before  beginning 
the  engagement. 

Fairford  leaned  over  the  break  of  the  poop,  looking 
at  the  approaching  stranger.  He  was  perfectly 
satisfied  now.  At  the  same  time,  old  Rhodes,  who 
had  been  critically  examining  the  frigate  through  the 
gangway,  turned  and  walked  aft,  muttering  to 
himself,  — 

"  Douse  my  toplights,  if  that  there  ain't  the  old  —  " 

"  Rhodes  !  "  said  the  captain,  sharply,  overhearing 
him,  "  keep  your  reflections  and  discoveries  to  your 
self  for  a  few  moments." 

•'  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  responded  the  veteran,  grinning. 

As  the  two  ships  neared  each  other,  it  was  seen 
that  the  men  of  the  larger  one  were  at  quarters,  and 
her  decks  were  crowded  with  a  brilliant  group  of 
officers  in  blue  uniforms.  Fairford  held  on  fearlessly 
and  steadily.  Suddenly  the  stranger  swept  up  into 
the  wind  gracefully,  and  backed  her  main  topsail; 
Fairford  did  the  same  with  his  ship,  and  the  two  ships 
were  thus  hove  to  within  hailing  distance  of  each 
other,  the  stranger  having  the  weather-gage. 

"  Ahoy  the  ship  !  What  ship  is  that?  "  came  down 
the  breeze  from  the  larger  frigate. 

231 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE  SEA 

"The  United  States  Ship  Narragansett,  Captain 
Blakely  Fairford,"  responded  the  latter,  springing 
upon  the  rail.  "  What  ship  is  that?  " 

"  The  United  States  Ship  Constitution,  Commodore 
Charles  Stewart." 

"  Three  cheers  for  the  old  Constitution !  "  cried 
Fairford,  waving  his  hand.  In  obedience  to  the 
signal,  all  the  Narragansetts  sprang  upon  the  bul 
warks  and  into  the  rigging,  and  cheered  again  and 
again ;  her  flag  was  dipped  at  the  same  time.  Court 
eously  acknowledging  the  salute  by  raising  his  hat 
and  waving  it,  and  causing  his  own  colors  to  be 
dipped,  Commodore  Stewart  hailed  once  more. 

"Where  from  and  whither  bound?" 

"  From  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  where  we  cut  out  this 
ship  from  the  British,  and  bound  east  on  a  cruise." 
The  ships  had  drawn  nearer  now,  and  conversation 
was  not  difficult. 

"  Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  cut  out 
your  ship  from  the  British ;  that  she  is  a  prize  ?  I 
thought  she  was  an  American  ship,"  said  Stewart 

"  She  was,"  answered  Fairford,  "  but  she  was 
taken  when  Washington  was  captured  by  the  enemy. 
We  cut  her  out  three  days  ago." 

It  was  the  Constitution's  turn  now.  Such  a  roar  of 
exultation  and  delight  came  from  the  throats  of  the 
four  hundred  men  who  made  up  her  crew,  that  you 
could  have  heard  it  if  you  had  been  hull  down  on 
the  horizon. 

"  Did  you  say  the  Capital  had  been  captured, 
sir?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  burned,  though  the  British  retreated 
almost  immediately.  Can  you  spare  me  a  doctor, 

232 


AN   OLD   FRIEND   AGAIN 

one  or  two  lieutenants  and  some  marines  and  a  few 
midshipmen,  sir?" 

"  Is  there  anything  else  you  would  like  to  have?  " 
was  the  reply,  while  a  gigantic  laugh  came  from  the 
Constitution.  "  But  come  aboard  and  we  will  talk  it 
over.  Meantime,  I  think  you  had  better  fill  away 
again  and  get  a  little  farther  off,  Captain  Fairford," 
said  the  older  man ;  "  we  don't  want  you  to  cut  out 
the  old  Constitution  as  well,  by  way  of  keeping  your 
hand  in." 

After  obeying  the  order  of  his  superior,  Fairford, 
accompanied  by  Ludlow,  entered  a  boat  and  was 
rowed  over  to  the  noble  old  frigate.  Their  hearts 
went  out  to  her  as  she  lay  gently  rising  and  falling 
on  the  waves ;  a  battle-scarred  veteran  now,  with  such 
a  record  of  successful  victory  as  made  her,  to  her 
enemies,  the  terror  of  the  sea. 


233 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 
No  Ladies'  Maids  on  the  Constitution 

WHEN  the  news  spread,  as  it  did  with  surprising 
swiftness  at  the  beginning  of  each  one  of  her 
successful  cruises,  that  the  old  Constitution  had  got 
to  sea  again,  the  British  public  waited  with  bated 
breath  for  news  of  the  mighty  blow  she  was  sure  to 
strike ;  and  captains  of  frigates  equally  with  privateers 
and  skippers  of  merchant  ships,  drew  their  breaths 
uneasily  until,  having  accomplished  some  mighty 
feat  of  arms,  she  was  safely  ensconced  in  a  harbor 
again. 

She  had  laughed  at  blockades,  disdained  pursuits, 
defied  squadrons ;  and  under  the  successive  command 
of  three  great  captains,  Hull,  Bainbridge  and  Stewart, 
had  never  failed  to  return  from  a  cruise  without  the 
laurels  of  victory  wreathed  about  her  mastheads. 
The  flags  of  the  Guerriere,  the  Java,  the  Cyane  and 
the  Levant,  she  brought  home  as  trophies  to  her 
country.  During  the  two  years  and  a  half  of  war,  she 
captured  three  frigates  and  a  heavy  sloop-of-war  (actu 
ally  destroying  the  two  largest  frigates),  carrying  a 
total  of  over  one  hundred  and  fifty-four  guns.  She 
killed  and  wounded  over  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  men  upon  their  decks,  taking  nearly  one  thousand 
prisoners;  and  on  two  separate  occasions  escaped, 

234 


NO  LADIES'  MAIDS  ON  THE  CONSTITUTION 

by  the  exercise  of  the  highest  seamanship  and  skill 
on  the  part  of  her  officers  and  crews,  from  two 
large  British  squadrons  after  a  long  and  hard 
pursuit. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  she  captured  property  to  the 
amount  of  nearly  two  millions  of  dollars,  an  immense 
sum  for  her  day,  and  all  this,  with  the  loss  in  per 
sonnel  of  only  nineteen  killed  and  forty-five  wounded, 
and  in  material,  of  a  few  spars  and  some  rigging, 
easily  replaced.  Within  an  hour  after  any  of  her 
fights,  she  was  perfectly  capable  of  engaging  on 
equal  terms  another  enemy  similar  to  the  one  just 
captured.  The  last  order  of  the  British  Admiralty 
concerning  her  had  been  to  the  effect  that  English 
ships  were  to  hunt  her  in  couples !  Not  a  very  effec 
tive  device,  as  it  proved,  since  she  was  at  this  moment 
fresh  from  her  last  victory,  and  in  some  respects  her 
most  remarkable  and  brilliant  action,  the  twin  capture 
of  one  of  the  pairs  aforesaid,  the  frigate  Cyane  and 
the  sloop  Levant ! 

As  soon  as  the  exigency  had  been  made  plain  to 
him,  Stewart,  who  was  bound  home,  generously 
allowed  Fairford  to  take  such  of  his  officers  as  he 
could  spare  who  were  willing  to  go  with  him.  The 
young  captain  therefore  secured  the  services  of  a 
surgeon  and  a  surgeon's  mate,  two  more  young  lieu 
tenants,  several  midshipmen,  with  a  marine  lieutenant, 
a  sergeant  and  sixteen  men.  He  also  borrowed 
uniforms  for  himself  and  Ludlow,  and  coats  at  least 
for  the  volunteer  officers  he  had  on  his  ship. 

"  Would  you  like  to  have  anything  else,  my  young 
friend?"  said  Commodore  Stewart,  after  all  these 
requests  had  been  cheerfully  complied  with. 

235 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

"  Well,  yes,  sir.  There  are  two  other  things  that 
\ve  would  like  to  have  if  you  can  spare  them," 
continued  Fairford. 

"  What  are  they,  my  lad  ?  Do  not  let  the  remark 
able  modesty  that  you  have  exhibited  hitherto 
restrain  you  at  this  stage,"  answered  Stewart,  smiling 
jovially. 

"  Well,  sir,  we  would  like  a  couple  of  ladies'  maids." 

"  A  couple  of  what !  " 

"  Ladies'  maids,  commodore,  if  you  please." 

"  Ladies'  maids  !  Women  !  Good  heavens,  sir,  do 
you  think  this  ship  is  a  female  seminary?  You  '11  be 
asking  for  millinery  next." 

"  Yes,  sir,  we  '11  take  all  that  you  have  on  board  in 
the  way  of  women  gearing." 

Stewart  sank  back  in  his  chair  aghast, 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir;  are  you  trifling  with  me, 
or  have  you  lost  your  senses?  "  he  cried  sternly,  look 
ing  into  Fairford's  grave  face. 

"  Neither,  sir,  but  we  have  two  ladies  on  board,  and 
as  I  have  been  so  successful  in  picking  up  a  crew  and 
officers  in  the  ocean,  they  suggested  that  I  might 
somewhere  find  those  things." 

"  Well,  may  I  be  dashed !  "  exclaimed  the  commo 
dore,  recovering  himself,  while  Fairford  explained  the 
presence  of  the  two  women  to  him.  "  So  you  cut 
out  ships  and  women  as  well.  No,  I  cannot  help 
you  to  the  maids  and  the  millinery,  but  would  n't 
you  like  me  to  take  the  ladies  back  with  me  to  the 
United  States?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Fairford,  reluctantly,  yet  his  heart 
sank  as  had  Ludlow's  sometime  previously,  at  the 
thought  of  being  separated  from  his  sweetheart,  just 

236 


NO  LADIES'  MAIDS  ON  THE  CONSTITUTION 

as  he  was  enjoying  the  pleasure  of  her  society.     The 
old  commodore  laughed  again. 

"  I  see  how  it  is,"  he  said.  "  Well,  if  they  wish  to 
go  back  with  us,  sing  out  and  I  '11  send  a  boat  over 
for  them.  Meantime,  keep  the  Narragansett  well 
away  from  me.  I  hardly  feel  safe  as  it  is  with  such  a 
desperate  crowd  so  near  by." 

The  two  officers  with  a  curious  mixture  of  joy  and 
relief  at  their  good  luck,  and  sadness  over  the  expected 
parting,  soon  reached  their  ship,  whither  the  other 
officers  who  were  to  sail  with  them  had  preceded  them. 
Fairford  and  Ludlow  walked  up  to  the  two  girls. 

"  Margaret,"  said  the  former,  "  Commodore  Stewart 
expects  to  get  back  to  the  United  States  in  a  few 
weeks,  after  doing  a  little  more  cruising,  and  he  says 
he  will  take  you  and  Miss  Heathcote  up  to  Boston 
with  him  if  you  wish  to  go." 

Both  girls  started  eagerly,  and  then  noted  the  utter 
dejection  in  the  attitudes  of  the  two  men  before  them. 
They  really  were  enjoying  the  cruise,  and  the  spirit 
of  adventure  got  hold  of  them,  not  to  speak  of  other 
circumstances.  Boston,  for  instance,  was  a  long  way 
from  Virginia.  There  was  no  reason  why  Evelyn 
should  go  back,  and  she  therefore  nodded  in  response 
to  the  mute  interrogation  of  Margaret's  glance. 

"  I  feel  it  my  duty,"  said  Fairford,  painfully,  "  to 
say  that  you  ought  to  go  with  him." 

"  Most  certainly,  most  certainly,"  responded  Lud 
low,  gloomily. 

"Oh,  you  wish  to  be  rid  of  us,  do  you?"  said 
Margaret,  decisively ;  "  well,  then,  we  '11  stay  where 
we  are.  I  presume  your  ship  will  be  returning  home 
sometime  or  other." 

237 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

For  the  life  of  them,  the  two  men  could  not 
restrain  their  delight.  Old  Rhodes,  who  was  always 
opportunely  around  when  anything  was  going  on, 
had  pretended  to  busy  himself  over  a  rope  while  he 
listened  to  the  conversation.  The  whole  crew  of  the 
Narragansett  of  course  knew  of  Margaret's  gallant 
ride  to  save  the  ship;  it  was  a  never  ending  topic  of 
discussion  among  the  men.  They  knew  she  had 
taken  Spicer's  place,  and  that  Spicer  had  been 
promised  the  rating  of  a  boatswain's  mate  if  he 
succeeded  in  his  adventure;  they  understood  per 
fectly,  therefore,  when  old  Rhodes  daringly  lifted  his 
hand  and  called  out,  — 

"  Lads !  Hurrah  for  the  little  bosun's  mate ! 
She  stays  with  us,  and  we  've  good  luck  aboard." 
In  the  cheers  which  succeeded,  Margaret  was  re 
named,  and  "  the  little  bosun's  mate "  she  con 
tinued  to  be  thereafter. 

"  I  shall  have  to  suppress  that  old  man,"  said  Fair- 
ford  to  himself,  looking  at  Margaret  the  while  to  see 
if  she  were  annoyed  ;  but  when  he  found  that  her  eyes 
were  shining  with  merriment  and  pleasure,  he  said 
nothing.  At  this  moment  Commodore  Stewart, 
tired  of  waiting,  hailed:  "Well,  sir,  have  you  any 
passengers  for  us?" 

"  No,  sir,"  answered  Fairford,  his  delight  pervading 
his  voice. 

"  Good-bye,"  cried  Stewart,  laughing  and  waving 
his  hand,  "  a  lucky  cruise  to  you,  and  I  hope  you 
will  pick  up  those  maids  somewhere." 

So  with  mingled  cheers,  the  two  ships  filled  away 
and  parted. 

238 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 
Yarning  on  the  Forecastle 

SEVERAL  weeks  had  elapsed  during  which  the. 
Narragansett,  favored  by  the  northeast  trades, 
had  been  steadily  running  to  the  southward.  For 
days  it  had  not  been  necessary  to  touch  a  rope  or  a 
brace,  though  of  course  exercise  with  sails  and  spars 
had  been  a  part  of  the  daily  drill.  Fairford  had  been 
brought  up  in  too  thorough  a  school  not  to  realize- 
the  absolute  necessity  of  habitual  practice  to  render 
the  men  able  to  get  the  best  results  from  the  delicate, 
deadly  instrument  committed  to  their  charge. 

To  a  landsman,  the  word  delicate  as  applied  to  the 
enormous  mass  of  wood  and  iron  and  rope  which 
made  up  the  ship,  might  appear  incongruous.  Yet 
it  was  the  delicate  touch  of  the  designer  which  gave 
the  fine  lined  hull  its  capacity  for  speed  without  the 
sacrifice  of  strength  and  stability.  It  was  the  nice 
calculation  of  the  shipbuilder  which  determined  the 
proportions  of  the  lofty  spars  and  the  broad  yard- 
arms.  It  was  the  accurate  care  of  those  who  loaded 
her  which  determined  her  set  upon  the  waves.  Above 
all,  it  was  the  nice  discrimination,  the  truly  delicate 
perception  amounting  to  intuition^  which  enabled 
those  who  commanded  her  to  get  from  her  the 
greatest  amount  of  speed  of  which  she  was  capa 
ble  with  the  minimum  of  wear  and  tear. 

239 


FOR   THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

Born  sailors  like  Hull,  or  Stewart,  or  Fairford  soon 
became  thoroughly  en  rapport  with  the  ships  they 
commanded,  and  after  a  preliminary  testing  of  qual 
ities  and  a  little  deft  experimenting,  their  vessels 
actually  seemed  to  represent  their  moods.  Nothing 
manufactured  gets  so  near  to  a  man's  inner  con 
sciousness  as  does  his  ship.  There  is  such  a  sense 
of  mutual  dependence  between  them ;  the  possibilities 
of  action,  though  of  course  dependent  upon  the  wind, 
are  so  unlimited,  that  the  ship  becomes  as  it  were  a 
responsive  personality. 

A  fort  or  a  field  is  but  a  piece  of  ground,  chosen 
for  certain  advantages  it  presents,  and  rarely  unique 
in  the  possession  of  them.  A  ship  to  a  sailor  is  the 
world  itself.  If  it  go  down,  he  goes  with  it;  the  wide 
circle  of  the  horizon  shows  him  no  haven  but  his 
own  deck.  If  the  fort  become  untenable  or  the  army 
be  outflanked,  the  position  may  be  abandoned,  and 
another  one  chosen.  When  the  ship  goes,  all  is  lost, 
the  only  alternative  being  another  ship ;  and  so  it  is 
that  the  sea  warrior  loves  his  habitation  as  no  soldier 
does  his  post. 

And  yet,  strangely  enough,  nowhere  is  there  so 
much  grumbling  and  vocal  discontent  at  present  con 
ditions  as  one  finds  in  a  ship  full  of  men.  Possibly 
it  may  arise  from  the  fact  that  there  is-  an  entire 
absence  of  that  favorite  receptacle  for  masculine 
discontent,  that  channel  of  marital  dissatisfaction, 
women  and  wives,  from  the  ship's  deck;  but  be 
that  as  it  may,  the  fact  remains  that  it  is  not  the 
present  ship  to  which  the  sailor's  vocal  approbation 
is  usually  given,  but  the  one  in  which  he  sailed  last, 
of  which  he  talks  and  to  which  he  refers  as  a  marvel 

240 


YARNING  ON  THE   FORECASTLE 

of  efficiency  and  a  paradise  afloat.  To  her  officers 
and  crew  his  meed  of  praise  is  given,  and  in  her 
favor  disadvantageous  comparisons  are  drawn  with 
the  present.  In  times  of  stress,  orstrain,  or  danger, 
however,  real  things  come  to  the  surface  at  sea  and 
elsewhere,  and  then  it  is  the  deck  upon  which  he 
stands  to  which  he  openly  gives  his  heart. 

The  excellent  material  of  the  Narragansett's  crew 
had  responded  in  a  measure  exceeding  his  highest 
hopes  to  the  constant  and  fatiguing  drill  which  Fair- 
ford  had  called  upon  them  to  undergo,  and  the  results 
went  far  beyond  his  expectations. 

"  Except  on  the  old  Constitution,"  the  captain  was 
wont  to  say  to  Ludlow  (he  had  the  common  failing, 
you  see),  "  I  don't  believe  a  better  or  more  efficient 
set  of  men  ever  stepped  a  deck."  But  in  his  secret 
heart  he  made  no  reservations.  As  usual,  a  great 
emphasis  had  been  laid  upon  target  practice,  and  in 
rough  weather  as  well  as  fair,  the  men  had  been 
trained  to  shoot  deliberately  at  a  mark.  They  had 
long  passed  the  equator  now,  and  had  lost  the  trades. 
It  was  blowing  fresh,  however,  and  the  ship  was 
booming  along  on  the  port  tack,  lying  as  close  to  the 
wind  as  possible  to  keep  her,  the  weather  leeches  of 
the  topsails  lifting  and  the  bowlines  hauled  out  as 
taut  as  human  hands  could  stretch  them. 

Five  bells  had  just  struck  in  the  second  dog  watch. 
Supper  was  over  for  both  watches,  and  the  decks 
forward  were  filled  with  men  enjoying  themselves  in 
their  own  way  before  the  night  watches  were  called. 
Forward  on  the  weather  side  of  the  forecastle,  a  place 
by  the  way  particularly  reserved  for  the  petty  officers 
and  veteran  seamen  by  tacit  consent  among  the  crew, 


16 


241 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

a  little  group  of  worthies  surrounded  Master  Joseph- 
Rhodes.  Smoking  a  short  black  pipe,  he  lay  exten 
ded  upon  the  deck,  his  can  of  grog  by  his  side,  his  head 
resting  against  the  anchor  flukes.  Around  him  the 
men  sat  or  sprawled  in  accordance  with  their  fancy. 

"  Talkin'  about  gales,"  said  an  old  shellback,  with 
great  deliberation,  "  one  of  the  wust  gales  I  ever  seen 
was  in  the  Indian  Ocean  .  .  ." 

"  Mates,  d'  ye  remember  that  'ere  song  about  the 
Indian  Ocean?"  interrupted  another  man,  and  giv 
ing  the  first  seaman  no  time  to  answer,  he  trolled  out 
the  following :  — 

"'Twas  the  good  ship  Gnyascutis, 

Jist  from  the  Chiney  Sea, 
With  the  wind  a-lee,  an'  the  capstan  free 
To  ketch  the  summer  breeze. 

"  *Twas  in  the  hidian  Ocean, 

Jist  as  the  bell  struck  three, 
We  spied  the  great  sea  sarpint, 
Lyin"1  pensive  on  the  sea. 

"  We  passed  his  tail  at  noon-day, 

I  was  a  heavirf  of  the  lead, 
'Twas  three  bells  in  the  dog  watch* 
Before  we  passed  his  head." 

"  What  was  you  a  heavin'  of  the  lead  fer  way  out 
in  the  Indian  Ocean,  I'd  like  to  know?"  queried  an 
auditor. 

"Just  fer  to  exercise  my  arms,"  answered  the  man, 
promptly. 

"Yer  jaws  don't  need  no  exercisin',"  said  the  first 
speaker,  severely.  "  As  I  was  a  sayin'  when  inter 
rupted  by  this  yere  ribald  song  cuttin'  athwart  my 
hawse,  the  wust  gale  I  ever  saw  was  in  the  Indian 

242 


YARNING  ON  THE   FORECASTLE 

Ocean,  which  I  ain't  never  seen  no  sea  sarpint  in> 
nuther.  Why,  it  blowed  so  hard,  mates,  an'  the  ship 
heeled  over  so  far,  that  whenever  we  wanted  to 
take  a  bath,  we  jist  run  out  on  the  lee  foreyard-arm 
an"  wropped  our  legs  aroun'  the  lifts  an'  leaned  over". 
At  one  time  we  sent  a  man  aloft,  an'  he  was  blowed 
that  flat  agin'  the  weather  shrouds,  that  he  couldn't 
git  up  nor  down,  so  's  we  had  to  rig  a  tackle  to  him 
and  haul  him  down  slidin'  like." 

"  Wot  I  'd  like  to  know,"  said  the  man  who  had 
sung,  seeing  a  chance  to  make  a  hit  which  was  most 
unprofessional,  it  being  considered  a  point  of  honor 
to  cast  no  doubts  upon  a  shipmate's  yarn,  "  how  you 
could  ha'  got  that  tackle  rigged  to  him  if  nobody 
could  go  aloft." 

"Blast  my  eyes,"  said  the  seaman,  "wot  fer  do- 
you  go  to  spile  a  sailor  man's  yarn  by  askin'  them 
irreverent  questions?" 

"  That  was  a  pretty  bad  gale,  mates,"  said  old  Joe 
promptly,  to  prevent  a  disagreeable  argument,  "  but- 
I  know  a  wuss  one  than  that.  We  was  down  in  the 
Pacific  once,  an'  a  gale  come  down  on  us  sudden  like, 
an'  one  of  the  men  which  got  ketched  in  the  foretop, 
slung  his  legs  over  the  rim  of  the  top  to  climb  down 
the  futtock  shrouds,  an'  the  wind  was  so  strong  that 
it  jist  ravelled  his  legs  out  an'  left  them  whippin' 
aroun'  like  a  lot  o'  rope  yarns.  We  hauled  him  back 
to  the  top,  then  .  .  ." 

"  Was  he  dead  ?  "  said  old  Thompson. 

"  Not  much.  You  see  his  heart  was  all  right,  an'  a 
man's  heart  ain't  connected  with  his  legs,  leastaways 
this'n's  wasn't.  When  the  squall  broke,  we  lowered 
him  to  the  deck  with  a  gantlin'.  An'  when  the  cap- 

243 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

ttain  saw  him  he  said  he  want  goin'  to  have  no  idlers 
on  his  ship ;  if  a  man  shipped  to  do  some  work,  he 
had  to  make  hisself  useful  somehow,  even  if  his  legs 
was  all  ravelled  out.  So  he  made  us  put  a  stop  aroun' 
his  waist,  to  keep  him  from  ravellin'  further,  an'  we 
used  him  for  a  deck  swab,  which  was  mighty  incon 
venient,  too,  because  he  was  so  heavy.  Before  we 
got  to  port,  we  clean  wore  out  his  ravelled  legs. 
He's  in  a  ...  a  ...  Amusum  now,  I  think  ye  call 
it,  an'  don't  have  nothin'  to  do  to  make  money,  but 
jist  exhibits  hisself.  People  actually  pays  to  see  him." 

"  If  you  believes  that  there  yarn  o'  yourn  yourself, 
Rhodes,"  said  Thompson,  reverting  to  the  mooted 
-point  between  them,  "  I  can  easy  understan'  how  you 
-can  swaller  that  there  Jonah  story  all  right.  I  believe 
you  could  swaller  the  whale  itself." 

"  Why  can't  we  have  another  song,  now?  "  said  one 
of  the  men.  "  Pipe  up  somebody  as  can  sing." 

"  I  will  give  you  one  myself,  mates,"  said  Rhodes, 
gladly,  ignoring  the  inconvenient  argument-seeking 
Thompson,  a  thing  which  always  exasperated  him. 
"What '11  it  be?" 

"  Give  us  the  '  Yankee  man-of-war,'  mate,"  was 
the  reply,  and  the  old  man  at  once  began  trolling 
out  in  his  rich  voice  the  favorite  song  of  the  Ameri 
can  Navy  in  those  days.  His  voice  was  a  deep  bass, 
roughened  and  hoarsened  by  the  continual  calling  of 
commands,  but  he  sang  with  a  rude  grace  and  stir 
ring  emphasis  the  ringing  words  of  what  was  perhaps 
the  best  sea  song  ever  written. 

"  'Tis  of  a  gallant  Yankee  ship  that  flew  the  stripes  and  stars, 
-A  nd  the  •whistling  -wind from  the  ivest-nor'-west  blew  through 
the  pitch-pine  spars. 

244 


YARNING  ON   THE   FORECASTLE 

With  her  starboard  tacks  aboard,  my  boys,  she  hung  upon  th&- 

gale, 
On  an  autumn  night  we  raised  the  light  on  the  old  head  of 

Kinsale. 

"  //  ivas  a  clear  and  cloudless  night,  and  the  -wind  blew  steady 

and  strong, 

As  gayly  over  the  sparkling  deep  oiir  good  ship  bowled  along  ; 
With  the  foaming  seas  beneath  her  bow   the  fiery  waves  she 

spread, 
And  bending  low  her  bosom  of  snow,  she  buried  her  lee  cathead. 

"  There  was  no  talk  of  shortening  sail  by  him  who  walked  the" 
poop, 

And  under  the  press  of  her  pondering  jib  the  boom  bent  like  a- 
hoop, 

And  the  groaning  water-ways  told  the  strain  that  held  her 
stotit  main  tack. 

But  he  only  laughed  as  he  glanced  abaft  at  a  white  and  silvery- 
track. 

"  The  mid-tide  meets  in  the  channel  waves  that  flow  from  shore 

to  shore, 
And  the  mist  hung  heavy  upon  the  land  from  Featherstone  tO' 

Dunmore  ; 
And  that  sterling  light  on  Tusker  rock,  where  the  old  bell  tolls 

the  hour, 
And  the  beacon  light  that  shone  so  bright  was  quenched  on 

Waterford  tower. 

"  The  nightly  robes  our  good  ship  wore  were  her  three  topsails  set, 
The  spanker  and  her  standing  jib,  the  spanker  being  fast. 
'  Now,  lay  aloft,  my  heroes  bold,  let  not  a  moment  pass  /' 
And  royals  and  topgallant  sails  were  quickly  on  each  mast. 

"  What  looms  upon  the  starboard  bow  ?     What  hangs  upon  the 

breeze  ? 

*Tis  time  our  good  ship  hauled  her  wind  abreast  the  old  Saltees  j. 
For  by  her  ponderous  press  of  sail  and  by  her  consorts  four 
We  saw  our  morning  visitor  was  a  British  man-of-war. 

245 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

*"  Up  spoke  our  noble  captain  then,  as  a  shot  ahead  of  us  passed 
''  Haul  snug  your  flowing  courses,  lay  your  topsail  to  the  mast ! ' 
The  Englishmen  gave  three  loud  hurrahs  from  the  deck  of  their 

covered  ark, 
And  we  answered  back  by  a  solid  broadside  from  the  decks  of 

our  patriot  bark. 

" '  Out,  booms  !  Out,  booms  ! '  our  skipper  cried,  '  Out,  booms, 
and  give  her  sheet ! ' 

And  the  swiftest  keel  that  ever  was  launched  shot  ahead  of  the 
British  fleet. 

And  amidst  a  thundering  shower  of  shot,  with  stunsails  hoist 
ing  away, 

-Down  the  North  Channel  Pazil  Jones  did  steer,  just  at  the  break 
of  day." 

"  That 's  a  good  song,"  said  the  learned  man  of  the 
forecastle,  looking  up  from  his  book.  "  I  've  always 
•thought  I  'd  like  to  write  a  song  myself.  There  was 
a  man  once  that  I  heard  about,  that  said  he  'd  rather 
have  writ  a  piece  o'  poetry,  an'  it  was  poetry  about 
a  graveyard  too,  than  cut  out  a  town,  which  he  was 
tryin'  to  take  by  boardin'." 

"A  queer  fish  of  a  sailor  man  he  must  ha'  been," 
commented  one  old  tarry  breeches. 

"  Was  n't  a  sailor  man  at  all,"  answered  the  learned 
man,  "  he  was  a  soldier." 

"  Well,  that  explains  it ;  ye  never  can  count  on  what 
a  soldier '11  do,"  said  the  Benedick,  with  the  hearty 
contempt  of  a  sailor  for  his  brother  of  the  other  ser 
vice.  "Though  my  wife  says  she  sets  great  store  by 
some  soldiers  an'  marines  she  's  know'd  in  her  day." 

"  Ay,"  answered  the  gunner's  mate,  "  ye  can 't  count 
on  wimmen  any  mor'n  ye  can  on  marines." 

"  I  never  read  much  any  more,"  said  Rhodes  to 
-the  learned  man,  "  'cept'n'  the  Bible  when  I  can  git 

246 


YARNING   ON  THE   FORECASTLE 

one  with  big  print  in  it,  but  I  want  to  know  how  you 
come  to  git  so  much  larnin'  an'  still  be  in  a  fok's'l." 

"  I'll  tell  ye  how  it  was,"  replied  the  learned  man ; 
<(  when  I  was  a  lad  my  father  he  says  to  me,  says  he, 
'  I  want  you  to  be  a  priest  when  you  grow  up,'  and  I 
says,  '  No,  I  don 't  want  to  be  no  priest,'  and  when 
I  told  him  that,  I  can  remember  well  what  he  said. 
'  You  young  fool,'  he  said,  grabbin'  me  by  the  ear, 
4  when  you  grow  up,  you  '11  find  out  what  a  good 
thing  I  had  in  store  for  you,  and  then  it'll  be  too 
late ;  but  I  did  n't  see  it  in  that  way,  and  here  I  am, 
a  Jackie  in  the  forecastle.  He  made  me  learn  a  lot 
of  things  before  I  decided  not  to  be  a  Holy  Joe 
though,  not  referring  to  you,  Rhodes,  which  your 
name  is  Joe,  though  you  ain't  holy." 

"  Well,  I  guess  I  'm  as  holy  as  anybody  else  on 
this  ship,  barrin'  the  cap'n  an'  the  wimmen,  which 
he  is  perfessionally,  an'  them  naturally  so,"  com 
placently  said  old  Joe,  who  never  allowed  his  moral 
status  or  his  religious  views  to  be  impugned. 

"That's  so,"  remarked  one  of  the  boatswain's 
mates,  "  you  're  about  as  good  as  the  best  of  us 
aboard  so  long 's  there 's  no  Sky  Pilot,  of  course, 
which  they  are  perfessionally  holy  sure." 

"  Chaplains  is  all  right  too,"  said  old  Joe ;  "  you  all 
want  'em  when  you  're  dead,  but  let 's  get  off  this 
subject,  shipmates,  or  we  '11  have  that  'ere  infiddle 
Thompson  expressin'  his  views,  an'  I  don't  want  any 
o'  you  youngsters  to  hear  him,  bein'  a  man  o'  strong 
religious  persuadin's  myself.  Stop  swearin',  Thomp 
son,"  he  added,  as  that  old  seaman  vocally  resented 
the  remarks.  "  Damn  your  eyes,  I  don't  allow  no 
body  to  swear  in  this  fok's'l  but  myself,  since  I  was 

247 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

converted  by  that  Methody  parson  last  year.  You 
won't  stop,  eh?  Well,  then,  I'll  make  ye,  an'  ye 
know  the  Lord  '11  be  on  the  side  of  the  believer  in 
Jonah,  rather  than  agin'  him,"  said  the  old  man,  pre 
paring  to  rise. 

"He'll  stop  .  .  .  he'll  stop,  lay  down  agin','' 
cried  the  captain  of  the  foretop,  acting  the  peace 
maker's  part. 

"  That 's  all  right,  Rhodes,"  said  another,  "  but  wot 
we  want  to  know  is  why  you  don't  stop  swearin' 
yourself,  if  you  don't  let  nobody  else  do  it." 

"Because  I'm  an  old  man,"  said  Rhodes,  "an'  I 
can't  unlarn  the  bad  habit  of  fifty  years;  but 
Thompson  he's  younger 'n  me.  .  .  ." 

"  Not  much  I  ain't,  I  'm  forty  nine  an'  a  half,  an'  I 
can't  stop  it  no  more  'n  you  can,  an'  I  don't  want  to 
nuther,  an'  I  won't,"  replied  Thompson,  stubbornly. 

"  You  've  got  to  do  it,  matey,"  said  Rhodes,  calmly, 
"besides,  we've  got  ladies  on  board  this  ship,  an' 
one  o'  them  saved  the  ship  for  us.  The  little  bosun's 
mate  don't  do  no  swearin'  at  her  end  o'  the  ship, 
leastaways  I  ain't  never  heerd  her,  an'  I  Ve  been 
aroun'  her  considerable,  an'  the  big  one  is  goin'  to 
stop  it  at  this  end." 

"  I  never  did  have  no  use  for  wimmen,"  said  the 
learned  man  of  the  forecastle,  "  perhaps  from  some 
idees  I  got  drove  into  me  when  my  father  was 
thinkin'  o'  makin'  a  priest  o'  me,  but  that  there  girl  is 
about  half  a  man  anyways.  Where 'd  we  be  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  her  lightin'  the  light?  We'd  never 
have  got  in." 

"  William  Cotton  says,"  remarked  the  old  carpen 
ter's  mate,  "  that  all  the  officers  is  in  love  with  one 

248 


YARNING  ON  THE  FORECASTLE 

or  t'other  o'  the  young  wimmen  from  the  cap'n 
down." 

"  Yes,"  said  that  melancholy  misogynist,  the  un- 
suppressed  Thompson,  "  an'  they  could  have  the  pick 
of  the  fok's'l  too,  'ceptin'  me." 

"  Go  along,  Thompson,"  interjected  a  quarter 
master,  "  you  've  got  no  more  heart  in  ye  than  a 
scuttle-but." 

"  Now  somebody  give  us  another  song,"  said  old 
Rhodes,  who  did  n't  care  to  have  any  one  else 
abuse  his  old  friend.  "  You,  Thompson,  you 
doubtin'  Jonah,"  he  continued  with  a  mixture  of 
Biblical  characters,  "  you  've  been  a  whaler  in  your 
day,  can't  ye  let  us  have  a  chantey?  " 

"  I  don't  feel  like  singin'  to-night,"  said  Thompson, 
with  the  affectation  of  a  bashful  girl,  "  I  Ve  got  a 
cold." 

"Never  mind  that,"  said  the  mate  of  the  hold, 
"you  couldn't  be  any  hoarser  than  you  are  ordi 
nary,  old  man,  so  heave  ahead." 

"  Pipe  up,  Thompson." 

"  Give  us  a  good  one,  can't  ye,  with  a  chorus," 
came  from  different  members  of  the  group. 

Thus  adjured,  after  a  few  preliminary  throat  clear 
ings,  old  Thompson  began :  — 

"  Come,  all  ye  bold  sailors,  who  sail  'round  Cape  Horn, 
Come,  all  the  bold  whalers,  who  cruise  'round for  sperm. 
The  captain  has  told  us,  and  I  hope  V  will  prove  true 
That  there 's  plenty  of  sperm  whales  off  the  coast  of  Peru. 

"  Now,  shipmates,"  he  said,  as  he  finished  the  first, 
verse,  "  all  hands  in  the  chorus. 

"  Off  the  coast  of  Peru, 
Off  the  coast  of  Peru, 
249 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

That  there  V  plenty  of  sperm  whales 
Off  the  coast  of  Peru. 

"  The  first  whale  we  saw  near  the  close  of  the  day. 

Our  captain  came  on  deck,  and  thus  he  did  say  .* 
'  Now  all  my  bold  sailors,  pray  be  of  good  glee, 

For  we '//  see  him  in  the  morning,  p'raps  under  our  lee.1 

"It  was  early  next  morning,  just  as  the  sun  rose, 

The  man  at  the  mast-head  called  out,  '  There  she  blows  I ' 
'  IVhereaway  ?  '  cried  our  captain,  as  he  sprang  up  aloft. 
1  Three  points  on  our  lee  bow,  and  scarce  two  miles  off. ' 

tltNow  trace  up  your  yards,  boys,  we  * II  fasten  anear. 
Get  your  lines  in  your  boats,  see  your  box  lines  all  clear; 
Haul  back  the  mainyard,  boys,  stand  by,  each  boafs  crew, 
Lower  away,  lower  away,  my  brave  fellows,  do. 

'"Now,  bend  to  your  oars,  boys,  just  make  the  boat  fly, 
But  whatever  you  do,  boys,  keep  clear  from  his  eye.'' 
The  first  mate  soon  struck,  and  the  whale  he  went  down, 
While  the  old  man  pulled  up,  and  stood  by  to  bend  on. 

"  But  the  whale  soon  arose;  to  the  windward  he  lay. 
We  hauled  up  Alongside,  and  he  showed  us  fair  play. 
We  caused  him  to  vomit,  thick  blood  for  to  spout, 
And  in  less  than  ten  minutes  we  rolled  him  '•fin  out? 

"  We  towed  him  alongside  with  many  a  shout, 
That  day  cut  him  in,  and  began  to  boil  out. 
Oh,  now  he  'j  all  boiled  out  and  stowed  down  below, 
We  Vvr  waiting  to  hear  ''em  sing  out,  '  There  she  blows  / ' ' 

The  deep  voices  of  the  men  caught  up  the  familiar 
refrain,  and  the  chorus  ending  in  a  long  drawn  roar 
ing  note  was  carried  aft  by  the  wind,  with  which  it 
blended  in  a  way  mournfully  poetic. 


250 


CHAPTER  XXXV 
Whaliri  's  the  Game 

"  A  Y,  that 's  r.  good  song,  Bill,"  said  another  sailor, 
/JL  a  veteran  harpooner,  to  the  old  whaler. 
"  Lord  bless  ye,  mates,  that 's  the  sport  of  the  sea. 
If  you  want  life,  whalin'  's  the  game.  When  ye  see 
them  black  backs  tumblin'  out  o'  the  water,  man  up 
aloft  in  the  crow's  nest  yellin'  like  he  was  crazy, 
'  there  she  blows  .  .  .  blows,'  an'  it 's  hurry  and  rush 
a  gittin'  the  boats  over  an'  down  in  the  water,  an'  the 
long  heart-breakin'  pull  at  racin'  speed  to  see  who 
gits  the  iron  in  first.  Then  you  come  up  quiet  like, 
a  stealin'  alongside  o'  him  an'  drive  home  the  har 
poon  into  his  fat  back,  an'  then  it 's  up  tail  an'  down 
he  goes  into  the  deep,  an'  the  whale  line  a  sizzlin'  an' 
a  smokin'  out  o'  the  tub,  an'  the  boat  dancin'  an' 
jerkin'  on  top  o'  the  waves,  an'  you  wonder  all  the 
time  whether  you  '11  go  down  with  him  or  not.  By 
an'  by,  the  line  slacks  up,  an'  you  haul  in,  an'  up 
he  comes  once  more,  bleedin'  and  blowin',  an'  then 
goin'  racin'  long  like  mad  an'  towin'  the  boat  along, 
all  hands  lyin'  low  an'  clingin'  to  the  gunnels,  until 
he  gits  tired  an'  heaves  to  for  wind ;  an'  then  you 
creeps  up  to  him  agin  with  your  boat,  an*  gives  him 
a  lance  hard  an'  deep  in  the  vitals.  Then  it 's  '  starn 
all  for  your  lives,'  boys,  while  he  gits  into  his  flurry 

251 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

an'  beats  the  water  into  foam  with  his  fins  an'  slaps  it 
with  his  tail,  churnin'  it  up  with  a  sound  like  thunder, 
an'  by  an'  by  he  rolls  over  an'  lays  still,  an'  you  've 
got  him  !  It's  like  killin'  a  king,  mates." 

"  None  of  us  ain't  killed  no  kings,"  said  another. 

"No,  we  ain't,"  said  old  Rhodes,  meditatively,  "  we 
ain't  got  none  to  kill  in  America.  If  we  had,  I  guess 
we  'd  kill  'em  right  enough,  though  most  of  us  is  out 
o'  practice  in  that  job,  but  I  understand  wot  he  means 
all  right.  I  've  killed  'em  myself,  which  I  means 
whales  not  kings." 

"  Tryin'  out  ile  's  a  nasty  job,  though,"  said 
another. 

"  T  is  indeed,  mate,"  replied  the  old  whaler,  "  but 
then  you  know  every  barrel  of  ile  we  git,  means  so 
much  for  all  hands." 

"  Whalin'  's  fine,"  said  a  third,  "  it 's  much  the  same 
as  fightin',  takes  men  to  do  both  on  'em." 

"  Ay,"  said  another,  "  an'  they  're  alike  in  another 
way,  too,  all  hands  shares  in  the  capture,  prize  money, 
an'  barrel  money,  jist  the  same." 

"  Yes,  and  in  pretty  much  the  same  way,"  said  the 
learned  man  again;  "you  throw  the  prize  money  at  a 
ladder,  and  wot  sticks  to  the  rounds  goes  to  the  crew, 
and  the  cap'n  and  the  officers  takes  the  balance,  and 
you  put  the  barrel  money  in  coins  in  an  ile  cask  and 
the  crew  gits  wots  floats  on  top." 

"Talkin'  about  prize  money,"  said  old  Rhodes, 
who  had  observed  a  small  form  stealing  up  toward 
him  under  the  lee  of  the  rail,  "  I  guess  little  Willie 
Cotton  won't  git  no  more  prize  money  now  that  he 's 
servin'  females  an'  gone  to  nussin'  them  wimmen 
aft." 

252 


WHALIN"S  THE   GAME 

"  Yes,  I  do,  beggin'  your  pardon,  sir,  an*  the  little 
bosun's  mate  she  says  t*  I  can  have  her  share  too." 

"  Good  for  her,"  cried  one  of  the  seamen,  enthusi 
astically,  "  an'  if  she  don't  git  none  no  other  way,  she 
can  have  part  o'  my  pile." 

"  An'  mine." 

"  An'  mine." 

"  Well,  if  it  had  n't  a  been  for  that  there  ride  o' 
her  'n  an'  the  lightin'  of  the  beacon,  we  would  n't  any 
of  us  had  any  prize  money,"  said  another. 

"We  ain't  got  any  at  all  yet,  remember,"  said 
Thompson,  "  unless  we  git  it  for  cuttin'  out  this 
ship." 

"  Don't  spend  your  prize  money,  lads,  till  you  git 
it,"  said  Rhodes,  wisely.  "Oncest  I  was  comin'  down 
the  Pacific  on  a  stout  old  whaler  bound  home  after  a 
three  years'  cruise.  We  was  chuck  full  o'  ile,  we  even 
had  some  o'  the  water  casks  full,  an'  a  deck  load  o' 
all  the  casks  we  could  beg,  or  borry,  or  steal,  from 
any  other  whaler  we  come  across;  never  did  have 
such  a  lucky  cruise,  an'  all  hands  was  feelin'  fine  at 
the  thought  of  how  they  'd  spend  their  money  when 
they  got  back  to  New  Bedford.  When  we  got  down 
off  Cape  Horn  it  begun  to  blow,  an'  blow,  an'  it  blew 
a  steady  gale  for  ten  days  (like  that  Indian  Ocean 
yarn  o'  yourn,  Jack),  an'  we  was  a  beatin',  an'  a 
beatin',  an'  a  beatin',  tryin'  to  git  around  the  Horn, 
the  cap'n  cursin'  an'  svvearin'  terrible,  an'  all  hands 
mourniul  an'  worked  to  death.  Ship  was  a  strainin' 
till  the  ile  casks  begun  to  leak,  an'  then  right  in  the 
thick  of  it  all,  she  drifted  onto  a  reef  thereabouts  an' 
tore  the  whole  bottom  out  of  her. 

"  When  she  struck  I  fell  down  the  after  hatch  an* 
253 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

broke  a  leg,  the  rest  of  the  crew  they  took  to  the 
boats  an'  drove  off  before  the  wind  an'  foundered, 
leavin'  me  behind.  Presently  I  come  to,  an'  crawled 
up  on  deck,  an'  I  found  I  was  alone,  masts  all  gone, 
deck  load  washed  away  'ceptin'  one  plank  jammed 
between  the  galley  an'  the  try-pots.  I  hung  onto 
that  plank,  an'  presently  the  waves  swept  the  old 
barky  off,  an'  down  she  went.  About  this  time  a 
queer  thing  happened.  The  whale  ile  from  the  busted 
casks  got  spread  out  over  the  ocean,  an'  the  waves 
calmed  down,  jist  rollin'  like,  an'  there  I  was  a  layin' 
on  that  plank  with  my  broken  leg  danglin'  in  the 
water,  an'  all  of  a  sudden  —  it  was  thunderin'  an' 
lightnin'  awful  —  the  lightnin'  struck  that  plank  an' 
lit  both  ends  of  it,  jumped  over  me,  though  it  kind 
o'  stunned  me,  an'  when  I  come  to,  there  I  was  a 
layin'  on  that  burnin'  plank  in  the  middle  o'  the  sea 
with  a  broken  leg.  The  fire  was  a  blazin'  at  both 
ends  of  the  timber  an'  the  water  bein'  so  iley  I  dasent 
use  it  fer  to  put  out  the  flames.  I  never  was  in  such 
a  fix  before,  an'  I  never  want  to  be  in  another  like  it 
agin,"  said  the  old  man,  emptying  his  pipe  and  tap 
ping  the  bowl  on  the  fluke  of  the  anchor.  "  I  did  n't 
get  no  prize  money  nuther,  when  I  got  back." 

Fortunately  for  Rhodes,  at  this  juncture  the  mellow 
tones  of  the  bell  forward  striking  eight  times  here  in 
terrupted  the  conversation,  to  the  deep  disappoint 
ment  of  the  audience.  The  boatswain's  mate  aft  on 
watch  piped  shrilly,  crying  a  moment  after  in  a  deep 
hoarse  voice  in  long  drawn  tones,  — 

"A  ...  all,  the  port  watch." 

At  this  call,  the  lounging  men  sprang  to  their  feet, 
those  in  the  starboard  watch  immediately  going  be- 

254 


WHALIN"S  THE   GAME 

low  to  their  hammocks  to  get  the  four  hours  of 
allotted  rest,  preparatory  to  their  tour  of  duty,  which 
began  at  midnight.  The  port  watch,  who  were  all  on 
deck,  stepped  to  their  various  stations  and  stood  at 
attention  answering  their  names  as  the  roll  was  called 
by  the  midshipmen.  The  wheel  and  lookouts  were 
relieved  as  soon  as  the  watch  was  set.  Among  those 
to  go  below  was  old  Rhodes,  who  belonged  to  the 
starboard  watch.  As  he  put  his  foot  upon  the  ladder, 
his  young  friend  William  Cotton  grasped  him  by  the 
arm. 

"  You  did  n't  tell  us  how  you  got  away  from  that 
burnin'  plank  with  your  broken  leg,  Mister  Rhodes. 
How  was  it,  sir?" 

"  Too  late  to  finish  that  yarn  to-night,  my  boy ;  you 
must  learn  that  a  sailor's  first  duty  when  he  's  got  a 
watch  below  at  night  is  to  turn  in  an'  enjoy  it;  so 
pipe  yourself  down,  youngster,  an'  follow  my  exam 
ple."  All  of  which  was  very  unsatisfactory  indeed. 


255 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

Why  They  Fought 

\  FT  on  the  quarter-deck,  the  two  girls  were  stand- 
•f*-  ing,  surrounded  by  a  group  of  officers.  The 
heat  of  the  day  was  now  tempered  by  the  cool 
breezes  of  the  evening.  The  full  moon  was  shining 
mystically  over  the  long  stretch  of  water,  and  in 
front  of  them,  low  in  the  heavens,  hung  the  resplen 
dent  beauty  of  the  Southern  Cross,  as  the  pitch  of 
the  ship  from  time  to  time  brought  it  into  view  from 
aft. 

The  moonlight's  magic  touch  heightened  the  beauty 
of  the  ship,  the  sails  upon  which  it  fell  gleamed  like 
frosted  silver,  though  they  cast  black  shadows  across 
the  white  decks.  The  two  girls  had  hitherto  enjoyed 
the  cruise  extremely.  They  who  speak  of 'the  monot 
ony  of  a  cruise  have  no  eye  for  the  ever  varying 
food  for  the  imagination  presented  by  the  changing 
sea.  Margaret  and  Evelyn  were  both  good  sailors, 
and  the  pure  air,  unrestrained  life,  and  regular  hours 
had  brought  them  both  into  perfect  health.  The 
gallant  attentions  of  the  young  officers  and  the  un 
usual  situation  in  which  they  found  themselves  did 
not  allow  the  minutes  to  hang  heavily  on  their 
hands. 

In  the  day  time  the  rustle  of  silk  and  satin  or  the 
wave  of  the  cool  dainty  muslins  which  Evelyn's 

v        256 


WHY  THEY  FOUGHT 

generously  shared  and  most  complete  wardrobe  gave 
them,  seemed  strangely  incongruous  as  they  brushed 
the  massive  guns,  or  were  outlined  against  the  black 
and  rigid  shrouds  and  stays;  but  when  Night  laid 
her  soft  hand  upon  the  ship,  the  two  women  and 
their  filmy  draperies  became  fit  and  appropriate 
parts  of  the  picture.  Sometimes,  as  was  the  case 
this  evening,  they  made  a  grand  toilet,  and  appeared 
radiantly  arrayed  "  to  dazzle  when  the  sun  is  down 
and  rob  the  world  of  rest."  Most  of  the  officers  who 
were  umnarried,  were  frankly  in  love  with  one  or  the 
other  of  the  two  girls. 

The  recollection  of  the  past  upon  Fairford's  part, 
and  his  natural  modesty  and  timidity  with  women, 
still  kept  up  the  bars  between  him  and  Margaret, 
indeed,  that  young  lady  made  no  effort  to  let  them 
down.  Now  that  they  were  together  and  there  was 
no  possibility  of  separation,  she  temporized  with 
happiness,  and  day  by  day  held  off  at  arm's  length 
the  favorite  of  her  heart;  all  of  which  was  not  dis 
couraging  to  those  who  would  fain  break  a  lance  in 
her  behalf. 

Those  of  the  officers  who  were  captivated  by  Eve 
lyn's  charming  personality  had  become  aware  of  her 
engagement  to  her  kinsman,  but  that  only  added  a  zest 
to  their  endeavors,  and  they  were  by  no  means  averse 
to  cutting  out  the  fair  maiden  in  the  nautical  sense,  and 
cutting  out  the  English  officer  in  a  colloquial  sense, 
if  that  were  possible.  Ludlow,  the  most  seriously 
affected  of  them  all,  who  had  by  no  means  given  up 
his  long  love  chase,  had  no  advantage  over  the  others, 
save  that  conferred  by  his  previous  acquaintance 
with  the  object  of  his  adoration. 
17  ,  257 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

The  officer  of  the  deck  was  standing  at  the  break 
of  the  poop  carefully  watching  the  ship,  for  Fairford 
allowed  no  negligence  in  attention  to  duties  when  he 
was  aboard,  no  matter  how  pleasant  the  weather  nor 
what  assurance  of  safety  it  might  give.  The  two 
girls  and  the  others  were  standing  as  far  aft  as  pos 
sible  on  the  weather  side  of  the  poop.  Fairford,  in. 
lonely  magnificence,  was  pacing  the  lee  side  of  the 
deck.  The  conversation  had  turned,  as  it  frequently 
and  naturally  did,  upon  the  war. 

"  I  confess,"  said  Evelyn,  "  that  I  never  dreamed 
what  a  frightful  thing  war  was  until  I  came  on  this 
ship,  and  yet  I  cannot  explain  my  ignorance." 

"  We  are  all  equally  blind  to  its  dreadful  reality 
till  something  brings  it  home  to  us,  I  think,"  said 
Margaret. 

"Yes,  I  suppose  so,  but  when  I  stood  in  the  cabin 
below,  the  other  day,  and  heard  the  sickening  fall  of 
that  hateful  whip  on  those  poor  men's  shoulders, 
such  a  horror  of  it  .  .  ." 

"  That  was  n't  war,"  interrupted  Ludlow,  impetu 
ously,  "  that  was  murder." 

"  Whatever  it  was,"  responded  Evelyn,  meaningly, 
flushing  at  his  ungracious  remark,  "  I  am  not  responsi 
ble  for  it,  and  had  it  been  possible,  I  would  have 
stopped  it  at  any  cost." 

"  Forgive  me,"  said  Ludlow,  contritely,  "  I  spoke 
in  haste,  unthinkingly,  as  I  should  not  have  done." 

"  Women,"  continued  Evelyn,  "know  nothing  about 
these  things,  and  indeed  I  think  but  few  men  realize 
them,  else  they  would  be  more  chary  of  entering 
upon  combats  themselves,  or  of  forcing  their  coun 
tries  into  war." 

258 


WHY  THEY  FOUGHT 

"  True,"  said  Berry,  the  ex-captain  of  the  privateer, 
"  I  have  often  observed  that  it  is  not  the  experienced 
soldier  or  sailor  who  brings  nations  into  conflicts  as 
a  rule." 

"  Certainly  not,"  said  the  junior  lieutenant  from  the 
Constitution,  "people  who  fight  know  what  it  is.  It 
is  the  statesmen  or  the  women  who  make  the 
quarrels." 

"  Have  you  had  much  experience  of  it,  Mr. 
Harris?"  asked  Margaret,  looking  into  his  youthful 
face. 

"  Not  much,  Miss  Barrett ;  two  frigate  actions,  a 
cutting  out  expedition,  and  some  other  little  affairs." 

"  Mercy  on  me,  and  I  took  you  for  a  baby !  "  she 
cried  in  surprise. 

"  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  have  you  take  me  on 
any  terms,"  he  said  smiling,  then  added,  "  it  is  the 
statesmen  or  the  women  who  make  the  quarrels." 

"  Not  altogether,"  said  Evelyn ;  "  sometimes 
nations  force  them  upon  other  nations." 

"  True  in  this  instance,  Evelyn,"  said  Margaret. 

"  You  know  we  had  to  fight  or  stand  dishonored 
and  discredited  before  humanity,"  said  Ludlow. 
"  Nations  exist  for  the  protection  of  their  citizens, 
and  the  flag  that  flies  up  there  at  the  gaff  in  the  day 
time,  which  stands  for  our  sovereignty,  must  protect 
us.  You  disregarded  it,  hence  we  fight." 

"  And  can  you  find  nothing  to  say  for  England, 
Mr.  Ludlow,  gentlemen  ? "  cried  Evelyn,  standing 
her  ground  undaunted.  "  Here  she  has  been  fight 
ing  the  battles  of  liberty  for  you  and  all  mankind 
against  the  odious  Buonaparte  and  all  that  he  repre 
sents,  and  the  country  which  should  be  her  ally  above 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

all  others  in  her  desperate  straits  comes  down  upon 
her  back." 

"If  you  had  only  asked  of  us  our  assistance,"  said 
Berry,  "  instead  of  demanding  and  enforcing  your 
demands  in  the  ruthless  way  you  have  done,  disre 
garding  the  liberties  of  the  individual  so  entirely,  I 
am  sure  you  might  have  had  it." 

"You  have  not  learned  in  England  that  we  are 
men  of  like  passions  here  in  America  .  .  „  "  cried 
Harris. 

"You  mean  here  on  this  ship,  don't  you?"  said 
Evelyn. 

"  That  is  one  of  the  points  of  issue  between  us. 
This  ship  is  America  .  .  .  whatever  carries  the  flag 
is  our  country,  and  your  people  will  have  to  learn 
that  we  can  no  more  endure  oppression  than  they 
can." 

"  You  take  a  rude  way  of  teaching  us  the  lesson," 
said  Evelyn,  smiling. 

"We  do  as  we  are  done  by,  'tis  the  law  of  the 
world,"  said  Berry  again. 

"  But  not  God's  law.  I  am  sure  that  is  something 
quite  different,"  said  the  girl,  gently. 

"  Granted,  Miss  Heathcote ;  but  your  country  is  the 
mother  country.  What  kind  of  an  example  does  she 
set  her  daughter?  " 

"  Ay,  Berry  is  right,"  said  Egbert,  the  surgeon, 
"  we  are  children  of  the  same  ideas  and  principles, 
heirs  of  the  same  heritage  of  free  thought  and 
free  speech,  and  coercion  is  as  great  a  failure  with 
us  as  it  has  been  with  you,  and  so  may  it  ever 
be." 

"  I  admit  all  that,"  said  Evelyn,  reluctantly. 
260 


WHY  THEY  FOUGHT 

"  That 's  because  you  have  been  with  us,  and  know 
us  better  than  the  rest  of  your  countrymen,"  said 
Ludlow. 

"  Do  you  justify  the  awful  methods  of  punishment 
of  which  you  have  been  a  witness,  Miss  Heathcote?" 
asked  Dr.  Egbert. 

"  No  woman  could,"  answered  Evelyn,  promptly, 
"  though  the  men  who  have  charge  of  our  affairs 
seem  to  think  otherwise.  Ah,  gentlemen,  I  am  only 
a  woman,  and  I  cannot  argue  with  you,  but  I  am  an 
English  woman,  and  glad  am  I  to  say  it,  and  the  flag 
you  love  is  not  my  flag,  the  cause  you  espouse  is  not 
my  cause,  the  hopes  you  cherish  are  far  from  mine. 
My  country  may  be  wrong,  but  it  is  my  country 
still." 

"  Nobly  said  !  Well  done,  Evelyn,"  cried  Margaret, 
enthusiastically.  "  What  think  you  of  that,  gentle 
men  all?" 

"  I  grant  that  you  have  had  some  measure  of 
success  in  your  naval  battles  heretofore,"  continued 
Evelyn,  smiling  gratefully  at  Margaret,  "  and  on  this 
cruise  as  well ;  but,  do  you  know  I  have  my  convic 
tions,  and  one  of  them  is  that  I  shall  end  this  cruise 
under  the  English  flag." 

She  said  it  with  such  assurance,  standing  so  proudly 
erect,  her  handsome  head  thrown  back,  that  she 
looked  the  very  image  of  Britannia  herself,  and  the 
whole  assemblage  applauded. 

"  We  are  all  captives  of  your  prowess  now,  Miss 
Heathcote,"  said  Berry. 

"  Almost  you  make  me  wish  that  I  had  been  born 
an  Englishman,"  said  Ludlow. 

"  You  will  see,  gentlemen,  you  will  see,  I  feel  it, 
261 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE  SEA 

something  tells  me  that  I  shall  end  this  cruise  as  I 
say,  under  the  English  flag." 

"  I  wonder  what  the  captain  would  say  to  that," 
cried  Margaret.  "  Blake,"  she  called  out  imperiously, 
then  realizing  that  this  was  not  the  way  in  which  to 
address,  in  the  hearing  of  his  officers  and  men,  the 
commander  of  the  ship,  who  was  pacing  the  deck  in 
solitary  grandeur  wrapped  in  his  own  thoughts,  she 
modulated  her  tone,  saying,  — 

"  Captain  Fairford,  come  here,  if  you  please,  sir." 

"At  the  service  of  the  little  boatswain's  mate," 
answered  Fairford,  stepping  across  the  deck  and 
bowing  low  before  her.  "  Ever  since  I  was  a  boy 
I  seem  to  have  been  under  the  dominion  of  old 
Rhodes,  and  I  suppose  that  I  shall  continue  to  be 
subordinate  to  my  petty  officers  until  the  end  of  my 
cruising." 

"  Do  you  call  me  a  petty  officer,  Captain  Fair- 
ford?"  said  Margaret,  flushing. 

"  Did  I  say  petty?  I  lost  a  letter,  I  meant  a  pretty 
officer." 

"  Did  you  make  old  Rhodes  a  boatswain's  mate 
for  his  beauty  then?"  asked  Margaret,  pertly. 

"  Not  I,  he  has  n't  enough  for  a  Jack-of-the-dust. 
I  gave  him  his  position  on  account  of  his  merits 
alone.  If  I  were  to  rate  you  in  accordance  with  the 
results  of  your  ride  and  your  heroic  actions,  Miss 
Barrett,  you  would  be  captain  and  I  your  lieutenant," 
he  replied. 

"  We  all  waive  any  claims  we  may  have  to  rank,  if 
the  ladies  will  take  command,"  said  Ludlow. 

"  Ay,"  said  the  surgeon,  "  let  Miss  Barrett  be 
captain." 

262 


WHY  THEY  FOUGHT 

"  Not  I,"  said  Margaret,  "  I  am  satisfied  with  my 
present  station.  The  boatswain's  mate  is  the  most 
important  man  on  the  ship !  " 

"  He  thinks  so  at  any  rate,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Miss  Heathcote,  won't  you  take  command  then  ?  " 
asked  Berry. 

"  Gladly,"  answered  Evelyn,  promptly.  "  Mr. 
Officer  of  the  deck,  hoist  my  flag  to  the  masthead, 
and  sail  this  ship  for  England."  The  officer  of  the 
deck  looked  aft  in  surprise. 

"  We  do  not  hoist  a  flag  after  dark ;  it 's  not  regula 
tion,"  said  Fairford,  smiling,  "  and  unfortunately  the 
wind  strictly  prohibits  our  sailing  for  England  at  this 
time." 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Evelyn,  laughing,  "  you  will 
hoist  it  before  you  get  through,  or  some  one  else 
will,  and  you  will  go  to  England  too." 

"Will  you  take  us  along  in  your  train?"  asked 
Harris.  "  Have  pity  on  the  poor  prisoners  of  war?  " 

"  Think  what  an  imposing  spectacle  you  would 
make  with  half  a  dozen  prizes  towing  in  your  wake 
wherever  you  cruised  on  shore,"  said  Ludlow. 

"  It  would  be  stunning.  I  promise  you  I  will  do 
everything  possible  to  lighten  the  tedium  of  your 
captivity." 

"  Only  let  us  see  you  once  a  day,  and  we  shall  all 
be  happy,"  said  Berry. 

"  I  certainly  will,  for  you  have  all  been  so  ex 
tremely  kind  to  me  that  I  scarcely  know  that  I  am  a 
prisoner." 

"  You  a  prisoner !  "  cried  Ludlow,  and  upon  his 
setting  the  example,  the  whole  group,  except  Marga 
ret,  bowed  low  before  her. 

263 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE  SEA 

"  Behold  us  all  captives  to  your  bow  and  spear,'* 
said  another. 

"  Ah,  gentlemen,  the  bow  and  spear  are  obsolete 
weapons,  and  you  are  not  as  much  my  captives  as  I 
am  yours." 

"  Would  that  you  were  ours !  "  said  Fairford,  gal 
lantly,  Margaret  shooting  a  suspicious  glance  in  his 
direction  the  while. 

"  What,  captain,  belong  to  all  of  you ! "  cried 
Evelyn,  laughing. 

"  I  called  you  over  here,"  said  Margaret,  severely, 
to  the  captain,  "  to  hear  Evelyn's  sentiments  and 
anticipations  and  hopes,  not  to  present  to  her  a  slave 
in  chief,  sir." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Fairford,  abashed  at  this  re 
proof,  "  all  things  are  possible,  especially  on  the 
sea;  those  hopes  may  be  realized,  but  it  will  not  be 
without  a  mighty  struggle,  I  think,  if  I  know  the 
temper  of  the  men  of  this  ship  as  well  as  I  do  my 
own,"  he  added. 

"  What  are  the  men  in  such  a  particular  temper 
about?  "  asked  Evelyn. 

"  Madam,"  answered  Fairford,  gravely,  "  when  we 
came  aboard  this  ship,  there  was  a  dead  body  hang 
ing  at  the  yard-arm  there ;  in  a  hammock  in  the  sick 
bay,  there  was  lying  a  thing — I  cannot  call  it  a  man 
—  with  the  mind  and  spirit  beaten  out  of  it.  There 
he  is  now,"  he  continued,  as  he  recognized  a  hesitat 
ing  figure  slinking  along  the  rail  on  the  deck  below 
him,  for  the  poor  sailor  had  been  assigned  to  no  duty 
and  was  practically  allowed  the  run  of  the  ship, 
forward. 

"  That  man's  back  is  a  horror  to  look  at,"  said  Dr. 
264 


WHY  THEY   FOUGHT 

Egbert,  quietly,  "  though  it  is  now  healed,  and  it  will 
be  so  until  a  merciful  God  calls  him  away." 

"  Martin,"  called  out  the  captain,  "  come  up  here." 

The  young  man  came  up  on  the  quarter-deck  with 
halting  step,  and  took  off  his  hat,  and  stood  before 
the  group,  nervously  cringing  and  fawning. 

"How  do  you  feel  to-night,  my  lad?"  asked  the 
captain,  kindly. 

"  Very  well,  sir,  thankee  kindly,"  returned  the 
poor  demented  man,  starting  back  at  the  same 
moment  as  if  to  avoid  a  blow,  and  looking  timidly 
at  the  captain.  "  The  British  were  very  kind  to  me,, 
sir.  I  only  got  one  hundred  and  fifty  lashes  and 
poor  father  got  three  hundred.  I  don't  see  him, 
about  here  anywhere,  sir.  Is  he  with  you,  sir?" 

"  Would  n't  you  like  to  fight  the  British  for  whip 
ping  you  so?  "  asked  Fairford. 

"Fight  'em,  sir?  No,  sir,  they'd  lash  me  again," 
he  cried  in  terror,  dropping  on  his  knees.  "  Oh, 
don't  let  'em  have  me  any  more,  sir  !  For  God's  sake 
keep  me  away  from  'em.  Don't  let  'em  take  me 
again.  Where  's  my  father?" 

•'  But  would  n't  you  like  to  fight  those  who  struck 
you?"  said  Fairford,  insistently.  At  this  question, 
his  mood  changing,  the  boy  sprang  to  his  feet  and 
broke  into  wild  laughter. 

"  They  did  n't  strike  me  hard,  sir,  they  only 
gave  me  one  hundred  and  fifty  lashes.  Mercy,  that 's 
what  they  called  it,  mercy  !  God  have  mercy  !  Does 
He  have  that  kind,  sir?  No,  I  couldn't  fight 'em." 
He  turned  and  darted  down;  the  ladder  and  ran 
forward,  laughing  wildly. 

"That  was  a   man    once,"  said   Fairford,  quietly. 
265 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"The  men  knew  him,  they  knew  his  father;  that 
explains  their  temper.  That 's  why  we  fight." 

"  I  must  go  to  my  cabin,"  said  Evelyn,  faintly, 
after  a  dreadful  pause  which  no  one  broke.  "  I  am 
but  a  woman,  I  cannot  understand  these  things  — 
poor  man,  poor  man  ! "  She  turned  to  the  ladder, 
attended  by  some  of  the  officers.  Margaret  sprang 
to  her  side. 

"  Dearest,  it  was  horrible,"  she  said ;  "  you  are  not 
responsible,  we  all  know  that." 

"  Good-night,  Captain  Fairford,  good-night,  gentle 
men,"  said  Evelyn  to  the  officers.  "  Are  you  coming 
now,  Margaret?  " 


266 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 
Love  on  the  Quarter-Deck 

"TDRESENTLY,"  said  Margaret.  "  I  wish  to  speak 

-L       to  Captain  Fairford  a  moment." 

The  other  officers  at  once  stepped  down  upon  the 
deck  below,  some  of  them  going  to  their  quarters,  so 
that  the  after  part  of  the  ship  was  left  to  Margaret 
and  the  captain,  with  of  course  the  officer  of  the 
watch  forward  out  of  earshot  at  the  break  of  the  poop 
to  windward. 

"  Blake,"  she  said  sternly,  "  I  wish  to  talk  with 
you.  How  could  you  do  such  a  dreadful  thing?  It 
was  a  shame  to  bring  that  man  before  her.  She 
did  n't  whip  him.  She  could  n't  help  it.  Oh !  I 
hate  war,"  she  cried,  throwing  up  her  little  hands  as  if 
•to  avert  a  blow,  "  when  I  think  of  the  horror  of  it,  the 
blood  shed,  the  anguish  and  destruction,  I  —  " 

"  Forget  that  you  come  of  a  race  of  soldiers,  I  pre 
sume,"  said  Fairford,  inwardly  chafing  under  the 
censure,  which  he  certainly  deserved.  "  I  am  sorry 
I  called  him  up,  it  was  not  premeditated,  and  I  will  tell 
your  friend  so  to-morrow.  But  I  confess  when  I  look 
at  that  man,  and  think  of  other  instances  I  have 
known,  I  almost  lose  control  of  myself." 

"  And  that 's  why  I  hate  war,  it  makes  men  so  ruth 
less  and  untender.  I  hate  it,  I  do  truly.  What 's  the 
good  of  it?  At  home  we  see  only  the  glory  of  it, 

267 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

the  pomp  and  circumstance  and  all  that.  Only  the 
men  who  are  unharmed  come  back,  and  their  bravery 
and  the  story  of  the  fight  is  so  fascinating,  that  the 
people  with  their  shouts  of  victory  drown  the  feeble 
cries  of  the  wives  and  mothers  and  children  of  those 
who  have  not  come  back." 

"  In  my  heart  of  hearts,  I  hate  it  as  much  as  you 
do,  Margaret,"  he  said  gravely.  "  There  is,  of  course, 
in  every  true  man's  heart  the  desire  to  bear  himself 
bravely  in  the  contest,  to  fight  and  win  the  battle,  to 
uphold  the  cause  to  which  his  sense  of  duty  pledges 
him ;  and  at  the  actual  moment  of  conflict  I  will  con 
fess  that  there  is  a  mad  joy  in  the  mere  fighting  which 
takes  possession  of  the  souls  of  all  men  who  are  not 
cowards;  but  otherwise  I  detest  it.  I  have  stood 
upon  too  many  blood-stained  decks,  I  have  had  to 
tell  too  many  wretched  women  that  those  for  whom 
they  were  asking  me  would  never  return  to  them 
again,  not  to  be  willing  to  sacrifice  everything  but 
honor  for  peace,  and  yet  war  is  my  trade,"  he  said, 
smiling  sadly.  After  a  brief  pause  he  continued, — '• 

"  Somewhere  on  this  wide  ocean  probably  there  is  a 
ship  commanded  by  my  brother;  he  may  be  seeking 
me  with  deadly  purpose,  as  I  would  assuredly  have  to 
seek  him  did  I  know  of  his  whereabouts.  When  I 
was  last  at  home,  you  remember  hearing  Bishop 
Meade  preach  a  sermon  on  that  Sunday  we  went  to 
Church  together,  about  the  brotherhood  of  man,  but 
it  does  not  seem  as  if  men  could  realize  any  general 
relationship  between  themselves  unless  the  ties  are 
actually  those  of  blood.  And  yet  I  confess,"  he 
added,  his  face  flashing  with  light,  "  as  I  have  said, 
in  the  actual  combat,  these  ethical  considerations  are 

268 


LOVE   ON   THE   QUARTER-DECK 

lost  sight  of.  I  fight  from  the  sheer  love  of  fighting, 
and  strike  because  it  is  in  me.  Moments  of  repen 
tance  come  after.  You  are  a  woman,  and  know 
not  —  " 

"I  can — I  do,"  she  interrupted,  full  of  pride  in 
her  splendid  lover;  "that  night  I  rode  to  the  point, 
when  I  came  to  the  bridge  and  saw  those  men  and 
drove  the  spurs  into  Clifford,  I  forgot  for  the  moment 
that  I  was  a  woman.  I  felt  as  we  dashed  upon  the 
bridge  that  if  the  whole  world  stood  in  front  of  me  I 

o 

would  have  swept  it  aside,  though  now  when  I  think 
of  it,  think  that  I — "  her  voice  sank  to  an  awe-struck 
whisper,  "  that  I  may  have  killed  one  of  them,  that 
that  grief  may  have  invaded  some  humble  home  with 
me  for  its  source — I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  it." 
Her  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  she  put  her  hands  up 
to  her  face.  Fairford  ventured  to  lay  his  hand  gently 
upon  her  shoulder. 

"Weep  not,  Margaret,"  he  said  tenderly,  "it  was 
for  our  country,  for  our  cause  you  did  it." 

"  I  did  not,"  she  said  sobbing,  taken  off  her  guard 
somewhat,  "  I  did  it  for  — 

"For  what,  Margaret?"  he  asked,  bending  eagerly 
forward. 

"  For  fun,"  she  answered  lamely.  She  had  almost 
betrayed  herself.  With  quick  alarm  she  hastened  to 
recover  her  lost  ground,  and  with  a  thrill  almost  of 
terror,  she  tried  to  hold  back  a  renewal  of  the  appeal 
which  she  saw  was  trembling  on  his  lips. 

"  Oh,  Margaret,"  he  said,  "  can  it  be  that  you  rode 
for  us  —  for  me  —  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,  certainly  not,"  she  answered  promptly. 
*'  I  went  because  father  said  I  might,  and  I  wished  to 

269 


FOR   THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

take  a  ride,  and  then  Clifford  had  not  been  out  for  so 
long—" 

"A  ride  that  black  night!  Margaret  .  .  .  Margaret," 
he  said,  smiling  joyously. 

"  Why  not,  sir?  I  like  to  ride  in  the  night,"  she 
answered  boldly  and  ingenuously. 

"  That 's  nonsense,  my  dear.  Admit  that  you  did 
it  for  .  .  ." 

"  Nonsense,  is  it?  I  was  just  about  to  .  .  .  oh,  you 
can  be  so  hateful,  I  'd  never  do  it  again,  never !  I 
would  not  ride  across  the  street  for  you  at  noon-day 
now,"  she  answered  crossly. 

"  Tell  me,  Margaret,"  he  said,  seizing  her  hand  and 
dropping  the  unprofitable  subject,  the  practically 
admitted  cause  of  the  ride  setting  his  pulses  bound 
ing,  "  are  you  —  did  you  —  did  you  ever  love 
Dick?" 

"  Love  him?     Certainly  I  did." 

He  dropped  her  hand  as  if  it  had  stung  him,  his 
feelings  tumbling  toward  the  zero  mark  at  the  same 
time.  But  he  was  so  madly  in  love  with  the  small 
bundle  of  contradictions  and  inconsistencies  standing 
so  imperiously  before  him,  that  he  could  contain  him 
self  no  longer.  He  must  have  it  out  again. 

"  You  were  not  engaged  to  him,  were  you  ?  " 

"  No,  I  was  not,"  she  answered  ;  "  he  "  speaking 
reluctantly,  "  was  engaged  to  Evelyn  .  .  ." 

With  a  sigh  of  relief,  Fairford  ejaculated, — 

"  Oh,  you  loved  him  as  a  sister  then?  " 

"  Not  at  all,  sir.  I  love  you  as  a  sister,  and  it  s  not 
the  same  thing,  I  assure  you."  She  was  bent  oa 
humiliating  him  then  —  she  always  was,  he  thought 
—  well,  he  would  show  her  the  victim  was  ready. 

270 


LOVE   ON  THE   QUARTER-DECK 

"  Is  n't  it?  I  am  glad  of  it.  I  want  to  be  loved  in 
a  unique  way,  not  as  other  men  are,  or  not  at  all." 

"  Well,  you  are  then,  or  rather  you  are  not  loved 
at  all,  so  you  have  your  desire,"  she  replied  most  un 
truthfully,  making  a  move  to  leave  him ;  but  he  would 
not  be  denied,  so  he  made  the  plunge. 

"  Only  hear  me  a  moment  before  you  go,  I  beg  of 
you.  The  pent  up  feelings  of  the  years  which  have 
passed  since  I  saw  you  overwhelm  me.  Though  my 
fate  tremble  upon  your  answer,  I  needs  must  have 
it.  Nay,  only  listen,  there  is  stimulus  enough  in  your 
very  presence.  As  you  stand  there  beautiful  in  the 
moonlight,  so  you  have  stood  by  me  in  many  a  night 
watch,  so  you  have  visited  me  in  dreams  of  hope  and 
happiness  and  love. 

"  No  needle  ever  turned  to  its  pole  with  the  fidelity 
and  persistency  with  which  my  heart  fixes  itself  upon 
you.  And  when  I  see  you  after  all  you  have  done 
for  us,  for  the  ship,  for  me  .  .  .  why,  this  ship  is 
yours  by  right  of  conquest,  as  we  are  yours  as  well, 
when  I  think  that  the  airy  substance  of  my  vision  is 
here  embodied  before  me,  that  I  have  but  to  take  a 
step  forward  to  touch  you  ..." 

He  suited  his  actions  to  the  words  of  his  low  impas 
sioned  whisper,  he  seized  her  trembling  hands;  they 
stood  in  the  deep  shadow  of  the  sail,  his  arm  stole 
around  her  waist.  He  was  so  strong  and  so  hand 
some  towering  there  above  her,  his  voice  was  vibrant 
with  his  feelings,  she  could  almost  hear  his  heart  beat 
as  he  drew  her  to  him.  Where  was  her  reserve,  her 
maidenly  hesitation?  —  like  a  charmed  bird  she  found 
herself  inadequate  for  resistance.  The  gentle  pitch 
of  the  ship  swinging  to  and  fro,  the  soft  sigh  of  the 

271 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

breeze,  the  splash  of  breaking  waves  about  the  bow, 
his  words  with  their  thrilling  passionate  cadence  —  all 
added  to  the  glamour  of  the  moment.  Another 
moment,  and  it  would  all  be  over.  Terrified  at  his 
own  daring,  he  hesitated — -it  was  fatal  to  his  hopes. 
Why  did  n't  he  go  on,  how  could  he  be  so  foolish  as 
to  stop  then?  she  thought.  It  is  not  only  the  woman 
who  hesitates  who  is  lost. 

"  Margaret,"  he  whispered,  "  dearest,  speak  to  me." 

She  did  not  wish  to  speak  herself,  but  rather  to 
hear  his  own  voice  telling  the  delicious  tale  again, 
and  so  she  lingered  in  expectant  silence,  making 
no  answer.  Suddenly  he  dropped  her  hand,  and 
released  her  waist. 

"  Very  well,  then.  I  understand  your  silence,"  he 
said  sadly,  having  missed  his  fate  because  he  had 
failed  to  put  it  to  the  final  touch. 

She  actually  laughed  at  him.  There  was  bitterness 
and  scorn  in  that  musical  laugh,  but  he  did  not  read 
it. 

"  When  you  next  cut  out  a  ship,  or  a  woman, 
Blake,  do  it  more  boldly,"  she  said. 

"  Margaret,  do  you  mean  ..." 

"  I  mean  nothing  more,  the  hour  is  late,  I  must  go. 
Meanwhile  consult  some  of  your  officers  and  learn  of 
them  how  ..." 

"  Margaret,  I  wish,"  he  said,  "  that  you  had  some 
flowers  now,  that  I  might  beg  again  for  the  rose  of 
reconciliation  which  I  refused.  What  a  fool  I  was." 

"  You  would  n't  get  it,"  answered  Margaret,  proudly, 
though  at  that  very  moment  folded  in  the  least 
brotherly  of  his  letters,  it  lay  against  her  heart.  "  I 
do  not  proffer  my  favors  a  second  time  to  any  one, 

272 


LOVE   ON   THE   QUARTER-DECK 

sir.  Dick  would  have  taken  it,  I  am  sure,  though  he 
already  had  one  I  gave  him."  Her  answer  stung 
him. 

"  Possibly  Evelyn  would  have  given  one  to  me  if  I 
had  asked  her,"  he  said  with  rising  spirit. 

"  No  doubt,"  said  Margaret ;  "  you  would  better  go 
below  and  ask  her  now.  It  will  be  a  good  thing  for 
you,  Captain  Fairford,  to  have  a  friend  at  court  when 
your  old  ship  is  captured,  as  she  says  it  will  be.  I 
wish  I  had  never  lighted  that  light,  and  lost  poor 
Clifford.  He  never  crossed  me  nor  flirted  with  any 
one  else,  he  always  loved  me,  and  I  liked  him  better 
than  the  whole  ship  and  you  too,"  she  went  on 
viciously.  "  No,  don't  touch  me.  I  am  going  to  my 
cabin,  sir." 

He  still  detained  her,  determined  not  to  lose  his 
rare  opportunity. 

"  Margaret,  don't  speak  so  to  me.  You  must  know 
how  devotedly  I  love  you.  You  simply  drive  me 
mad  flirting  so  outrageously  with  those  young 
dandies  ..." 

"  Is  this  the  discourteous  manner  in  which  you 
refer  to  the  officers  you  have  the  honor  to  command, 
sir?" 

"  Oh,  they  are  good  enough  as  officers  ..." 
1      "  They  are  excellent  as  lovers  as  well,"  answered 
Margaret.      "  I  am  quite  satisfied  with  them,  and  I 
can  speak  with  authority,  I  assure  you,  sir." 

"Will  you  never  hear  reason?  ..." 

"  Is  it  speaking  to  me  now?  " 

"How  ridiculous,"  he  went  on,  "to  be  thus 
thwarted  upon  my  own  quarter-deck  by  such  a  chit  of 
a  girl." 

18  273 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"  Chit  of  a  girl !  "  said  Margaret,  opening  her  eyes 
to  their  fullest  extent,  and  stamping  her  foot  in  anger, 
"  I  'd  have  you  to  know,  Captain  Fairford  .  .  .  stand 
aside,  sir,"  and  she  swept  past  him  head  in  air,  and 
descended  to  her  cabin.  Oh,  Margaret,  Margaret, 
rare,  pale  Margaret,  what  a  different  story  could  your 
little  throbbing  heart  have  told  had  it  spoken  truly  1 


274 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 
His  BrotJier's  Ship 

*  I  "'HE  squall  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the  evening. 
X  before  was  but  a  precursor  of  bad  weather  out 
side,  for  the  next  morning  the  Narragansett  ran  into- 
a  succession  of  heavy  easterly  gales,  which  severely 
tried  the  endurance  of  the  new  and  unsettled  ship. 
She  was  carefully  watched,  however,  by  the  officers, 
and  everything  having  been  made  snug  and  secure, 
she  labored  and  pitched  along  toward  the  soutb 
under  her  three  topsails  close  reefed  and  the  forestay- 
sail. 

It  was  a  dreary,  miserable  period  for  the  two  girls, 
who  passed  most  of  their  time  shut  up  in  their  cabins^ 
The  driving  rain  and  the  sheets  of  spray  cut  up  by 
the  wind,  rendered  it  very  unpleasant  for  them  to 
stay  on  deck,  and  the  pitching  and  rolling  of  the 
ship  made  it  impossible  for  them  to  keep  their  foot 
ing  when  they  did  go  there.  The  possible  contin 
gencies  which  might  arise,  and  the  arduous  duties  and 
increased  watchfulness  demanded  by  the  situation, 
kept  all  the  officers,  from  the  captain  down,  fully 
occupied,  and  in  a  state  of  extreme  tension. 

The  gale,  instead  of  abating,  after  two  days  blew  so 
hard  that  the  limited  canvas  was  further  reduced,  and 
under  a  close  reefed  maintopsail  and  storm  staysail, 
the  good  ship  plunged  along  to  the  southward.  If 

275 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

it  blew  any  stronger,  they  would  be  compelled  to  lie 
to,  and  wait  until  the  storm  broke. 

Since  the  day  of  the  last  quarrel,  Fairford's  inter 
course  with  Margaret  had  been  of  the  most  formal 
and  ceremonious  character.  When  the  two  girls  and 
he  met  together  in  his  cabin,  naturally  he  devoted 
himself  more  particularly  to  Evelyn  than  to  Margaret, 
and  although  the  latter  was  perfectly  aware  that  she 
possessed  all  of  Fairford's  heart,  with  a  delightful  in 
consistency  she  resented  even  his  passing  attentions 
to  her  English  friend ;  attentions,  by  the  way,  which 
filled  Ludlow  with  jealousy  and  anxiety,  and  caused 
that  erstwhile  cheerful  and  gallant  young  officer  to 
look  upon  life  from  a  very  gloomy  point  of  view. 
Evelyn  had  no  intention  whatever  of  rewarding  in 
any  way  the  obstinate  desire  of  Ludlow;  au  fond,  her 
heart  was  true  to  Heathcote,  but  Heathcote  was  far 
away,  and  she  had  become  habituated  to  the  atten 
tions  of  Ludlow,  and  looking  upon  him  as  her  exclu 
sive  property,  had  unconsciously  given  him  ground 
for  hope. 

Had  Heathcote  been  out  of  the  running,  Ludlow 
would  undoubtedly  have  captured  the  prize.  He 
realized  this  acutely,  and  hoping  something  would 
turn  up  in  his  favor,  continued  the  pursuit  and  chafed 
bitterly  at  his  captain's  devotion  to  Evelyn.  Ludlow's 
attention  was  so  humble  and  so  persistent,  and  in 
spite  of  the  constant  rebuffs  which  he  received,  he 
was  so  cheerful  and  jolly  and  appeared  so  confident 
of  ultimate  success  generally,  that  Evelyn  was  quite 
willing  to  receive  Fairford's  attentions,  to  show  Master 
Ludlow  that  she  was  by  no  means  his  captive.  She 
was  devoted  to  Margaret,  but  it  was  not  in  human 

276 


HIS  BROTHER'S   SHIP 

nature  not  to  enjoy  the  situation,  so  the  little  party 
played  at  cross  purposes  again,  with  everybody  des 
perately  unhappy  except  Evelyn. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  after  the  storm 
began,  the  wind  shifted  and  gradually  fell  during  the 
night,  and  the  weather  moderated  sufficiently  to  allow 
the  ship  to  be  laid  on  her  course  again  on  the  star 
board  tack.  It  was  still  blowing  a  heavy  gale  but  the 
fiercest  period  of  the  storm  was  over.  The  two  girls, 
after  a  cold  breakfast  had  been  served  them,  it  having 
been  impossible  to  light  the  galley  fires,  had  taken 
advantage  of  the  slight  lull  to  come  up  on  deck. 
Wrapped  in  stout  boat  cloaks  with  snug  hoods  upon 
their  heads,  they  were  safely  ensconced  in  a  sheltered 
nook  in  the  lee  of  the  bulwarks  on  the  quarter-deck, 
and  in  front  of  the  break  of  the  poop. 

Happiness  was  in  Ludlow's  heart,  for  he  stood  near 
Evelyn.  The  frightful  pitching  of  the  ship  rendered 
locomotion  difficult  to  anyone,  and  to  the  inexperi 
enced  impossible,  so  she  was  forced  to  remain  where 
he  placed  her,  and  from  time  to  time  to  cling  to  him 
for  support,  to  prevent  being  rolled  headlong  upon 
the  deck,  or  pitched  into  the  sea,  which  meant  certain 
death.  Margaret,  in  default  of  the  captain,  who  was 
gloomily  regarding  the  ocean  from  the  weather  side 
of  the  poop  above  them,  was  forced  to  put  up  with 
the  attention  of  Mr.  Berry,  finding  that  gallant  gentle 
man  a  very  poor  substitute  indeed  for  her  lover.  She 
was  thoroughly  repentant  now  for  her  treatment  of 
him  a  few  days  since,  and  longed  to  hear  again  his 
impassioned  protestations.  She  had  made  several 
timid  overtures  which  had  met  with  no  response  from, 
the  incensed  captain. 

277 


FOR   THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

That  very  morning,  as  they  had  come  through  the 
cabin  door,  she  had  looked  up  at  him  looking  down 
upon  them  from  above,  and  by  a  glance  and  a  gesture 
had  invited  him  to  become  her  protector  in  the  storm, 
an  invitation  which  had  been  promptly  refused  on  the 
plea  of  the  exigency  of  duties  connected  with  the 
ship.  She  did  not  like  to  be  crossed  in  her  wishes 
any  more  than  any  other  woman  would,  and  her 
present  feelings  were  divided  between  a  burning  in 
dignation  at  his  rather  curt  refusal  to  pay  any  atten 
tion  whatever  to  her  suggestion,  and  a  longing  desire, 
as  she  phrased  it  in  her  mind,  to  be  friends  again  — 
though  friends  was  hardly  the  proper  term. 

The  rain  had  ceased,  but  the  day  had  broken 
gloomy  and  foreboding.  Gray,  heavy-laden  clouds 
hung  low  over  the  heavens,  while  beneath  them, 
lighter  mists  went  scurrying  along  in  ghostlike  masses 
under  the  drive  of  the  fierce  wind.  They  were  far 
south  of  the  tropics  now,  and  had  been  driven  far 
to  the  westward  of  their  course  by  the  storm  they 
had  encountered,  and  as  it  was  the  month  of  Novem 
ber  the  damp  weather  had  a  chill  bite  to  it  which  de 
fied  their  heaviest  wrappings. 

No  lookouts  were  aloft  in  such  weather,  and  there 
fore  an  approaching  sail  was  not  detected  as  soon  as 
it  would  have  been  under  ordinary  circumstances,  and 
no  notice  was  taken  of  it  until  it  was  sighted  simul 
taneously  by  half  a  dozen  men  upon  deck  in  differ 
ent  parts  of  the  ship.  The  cry  "  Sail  ho  !  "  mingled 
with  the  screaming  wind  apparently  from  every 
direction.  When  it  was  borne  into  the  minds  of  the 
two  maidens  on  the  quarter-deck  that  a  sail  had  been 
sighted,  nothing  would  do  but  that  they  must  be 

278 


HIS   BROTHER'S   SHIP 

taken  to  the  poop-deck,  which  was  higher  and  not 
surrounded  by  immense  bulwarks  which  towered 
above  their  heads  in  their  present  position,  shutting 
off  all  observation. 

Not  a  sail  had  been  seen  for  weeks,  and  they  had 
been  sailing  for  many  days  through  a  lonely  and 
unfrequented  part  of  the  ocean,  through  which,  by 
the  way,  one  of  the  most  memorable  cruises  of  all 
history  had  been  made,  the  desperate  voyage  of 
Vespucci  and  his  companions  three  hundred  years 
before  to  the  desolate  island  of  South  Georgia. 
When  they  struggled  up  the  ladders,  assisted  by 
the  officers,  and  reached  the  open  deck,  they  were 
almost  swept  from  their  feet  by  the  unbroken  force 
of  the  cold  and  cutting  wind. 

A  place  to  stand,  of  course  unsheltered,  was  soon 
found  for  them  on  the  weather  side  of  the  deck,  and 
a  few  turns  of  a  rope  cast  off  from  the  pin  rail, 
secured  them  tightly  to  the  mizzen  shrouds  standing 
out  rigid  and  taut  like  great  iron  bars  under  the  tre 
mendous  pressure  of  the  wind  upon  the  topsail.  Fair- 
ford  had  slowly  and  carefully  mounted  to  the  rail 
and  stood  with  his  arm  clasped  around  the  shrouds, 
looking  out  at  the  sail  to  leeward.  Ludlow  and  Berry 
were  still  attendant  upon  the  two  girls. 

"  I  see  her  now,"  suddenly  cried  Margaret,  blink 
ing  in  the  wind  and  clinging  to  Berry  in  spite  of  the 
lashing.  "  What  a  little  ship  !  " 

"  Where?  "  asked  Evelyn. 

"  Off  here." 

"Oh,  of  course,  I  see  it  now.     Is  n't  it  tiny?" 

"  That 's  a  great  ship,  Miss  Heathcote,"  said  Lud 
low,  still  holding  her  firmly  by  the  arm. 

279 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF   THE   SEA 

"  Yes,"  added  Berry,  "  a  very  heavy  frigate  I  should 
say."  The  conversation  was  carried  on  under  diffi 
culties;  they  were  almost  required  to  shout  at  each 
other  on  account  of  the  noise  of  the  storm. 

"A  ship-of-the-line,"  roared  Fairford,  bending 
down  toward  them,  after  taking  a  long  look  through 
the  glass.  In  a  short  time  it  was  seen  that  the  cap 
tain's  surmise  was  correct.  The  approaching  vessel 
was  a  very  large  ship  with  the  same  sail  set  as  their 
own,  and  with  the  wind  on  the  quarter  going  free. 
She  was  followed  at  different  intervals  by  a  second, 
then  a  third  ship,  and  then  as  the  day  wore  on,  the 
Narragansett  sailing  parallel  to, 'though  in  a  different 
direction  from  the  other  ships,  brought  into  view  in 
succession  a  small  fleet  or  squadron  of  seven  heavy 
ships-of-the-line,  three  frigates  and  a  brig.  When 
she  came  abreast  of  the  rear  of  the  line  the  van  was 
far  ahead. 

The  ships  were  beautifully  handled,  and  in  spite  of 
the  severe  weather  had  kept  their  places  with  re 
markable  accuracy.  The  tall  sides  of  the  great 
fabrics  which  showed  the  glistening  copper  with 
which  their  bottoms  were  sheathed  every  time  they 
rolled,  the  muzzles  of  the  heavy  guns  which  pro 
truded  from  the  tightly  closed  ports  in  long  menac 
ing  rows,  the  lofty  sweeping  spars,  the  wide-reaching 
yard-arms,  the  water  which  broke  and  bubbled  and 
seethed  about  their  bluff  bows,  as  they  smashed  into 
the  waves,  or  the  glint  of  the  light  upon  the  foamy 
crests,  as  they  rushed  through  them,  followed  by  the 
smaller  frigates  and  the  little  brig  which  rode  buoy 
antly  in  the  rear  of  the  fleet,  and  to  leeward  of  the 
last  and  heaviest  battleship,  made  a  sea  picture  of 

280 


A   SHIP-OF-THE-LINE,"    ROATiED    FAIRFORD,    TAKING    A   LOOK 

THKOUGH  THE  GLASS. — Page  280. 


HIS  BROTHER'S   SHIP 

impressiveness  and  power  only  surpassed  by  the  con 
sciousness  on  the  part  of  the  observant  Americans, 
that  after  all  these  huge  constructions  of  men  pass 
ing  by  them  in  this  great  ocean  review,  were  but 
playthings  in  the  hand  of  the  wind  and  sea. 

The  Narragansett,  changing  her  course  slightly 
after  having  brought  the  leading  ships  well  astern, 
was  slowly  swinging  in  toward  the  rear  of  the  fleet 
Fairford  had  of  course  seen  the  futility  of  sending 
the  crew  to  quarters  and  the  ship  presented  her 
usual  appearance  save  that  everybody  was  on  deck. 
The  forecastle  was  crowded  with  observers,  and  every 
point  of  vantage  occupied  by  the  eager  watchers. 

"What  ships  are  those?"  screamed  Evelyn  in 
Ludlow's  attentive  ear. 

"  An  English  fleet,  probably  homeward  bound  from 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  blown  far  out  of  their 
course  by  the  easterly  gales,"  answered  Ludlow. 

"  How  splendid  is  the  sight,"  cried  Evelyn, 
triumphantly.  "  You  will  of  course  surrender  now. 
What  can  this  puny  ship  do  against  yon  mighty  fleet? 
I  shall  go  back  home  under  the  English  flag." 

"  Blake,  do  you  hear  that?  "  cried  Margaret,  fiercely, 
as  he  sprang  down  upon  the  deck  beside  her,  "  why 
do  you  not  send  the  men  to  the  guns?  Are  you 
going  to  be  taken  without  a  shot?"  She  stamped 
her  foot  with  all  the  pride  of  race  and  nation. 

"  Resistance  would  be  futile  if  it  were  possible," 
cried  Fairford,  "but  under  these  circumstances,  force 
is  not  necessary.  No  battle  can  be  fought  in  such  a 
sea.  The  only  gun  which  could  reach  us  would  be 
from  the  main  deck  battery  of  the  liners,  and  to  open 
a  port  now  upon  one  of  those  ships  would  be  to  sink 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

her.  The  little  passions  of  man  must  be  held  in 
abeyance  on  the  great  deep  this  morning ;  a  Higher 
Power  rules." 

The  little  party  had  drifted  over  to  the  lee  side, 
the  other  ships  now  being  in  plain  view  from  any 
point,  and  conversation  was  not  so  difficult. 

"  They  are  too  far  away  for  the  carronades  to  be 
of  any  value,  and  musket  and  rifle  shots  would  be 
useless  and  wanton.  If  they  killed  any  one  I  would 
call  it  murder,"  said  Ludlow. 

"  I  shall  be  very  much  mistaken,  however,  if  we  do 
not  get  a  fight  out  of  some  one  of  them  in  the  end, 
when  the  storm  has  somewhat  abated,"  said  Berry, 
eagerly. 

"  At  any  rate  it  won't  be  because  I  did  not  give 
them  an  opportunity,"  cried  Fairford.  "What  a 
splendid  picture  of  power  they  make,  not  a  single 
flag  flying  either.  Quarter-master,"  he  continued, 
"  show  a  flag  aloft  there." 

In  obedience  to  his  orders,  a  small  storm  flag  was 
soon  whipping  and  flapping  from  the  gaff  end,  which 
was  immediately  responded  to  by  the  red  flag  of 
England  from  a  similar  spar  upon  the  last  and  larg 
est  ship-of-the-line.  Simultaneously,  the  three  frigates 
to  leeward  hoisted  their  colors.  The  Narragansett 
was  not  more  than  a  thousand  yards  distant  from  the 
nearest  English  ship,  the  officers  upon  her  quarter 
deck  being  plainly  visible  through  the  glass. 

Among  the  belongings  of  Captain  Cunningham 
when  the  Narragansett  was  cut  out,  had  been  the 
official  British  signal  book  and  Navy  list,  with  the 
numbers  of  the  different  ships,  each  one  being  dis 
tinguished  by  her  own  allotted  number.  As  soon  as 

282 


HIS  BROTHER'S   SHIP 

they  had  flown  their  flags  each  one  of  the  three  fri 
gates  hoisted  a  set  of  signals.  Sending  a  midship 
man  below  to  his  cabin  for  the  signal  book,  Fair- 
ford  easily  made  the  numbers,  seven  ninety  three. 
Turning  to  the  book,  "The  enemy,"  he  read  aloud 
to  the  interested  group  on  the  deck,  "  may  I 
pursue?  " 

"  Ah,  they  are  signalling  for  permission  to  chase," 
said  Ludlow  to  those  at  his  side. 

"  They  will  find  that  we  are  not  very  good  at  run 
ning  away,  sir,"  replied  Berry,  confidently,  "  unless  the 
whole  fleet  takes  a  hand  in  the  pursuit." 

"  Quite  so,"  said  Ludlow,  "  though  I  am  afraid 
when  we  get  the  captured  English  officers  on  board, 
Miss  Heathcote  will  forget  us." 

"  I  would  n't  worry  about  that  just  at  present,  if  I 
were  you,"  said  Evelyn.  "  I  see  no  prospect  of  your 
getting  away  though." 

"  If  you  get  captured,  Blake,"  said  Margaret,  "  I  '11 
never  .  .  ." 

"Never  what?" 

"  I  '11  never  save  another  ship  for  you,"  she  replied. 

"This  one  is  enough,  thank  you,  but  nobody  is 
captured  yet  or  likely  to  be  to-day  at  any  rate.  Ah, 
there  go  the  answering  signals  from  the  flagship. 
Let  me  see,  the  distinguishing  pennant  and  some 
more  numbers.  That'll  be  a  ship's  number,  we'll 
see  who  is  to  chase  us  now.  Two  fifty  four.  We  '11 
have  a  fight  surely.  The  flagship  has  signalled  one 
of  the  frigates  to  chase  us." 

"Which  one?"  cried  Margaret,  impulsively. 

"  I  am  looking  for  it  now  in  the  list  .  .  .  ah,  here 
it  is  now.  ...  I  have  it  ...  two  "fifty  two,  three,— 

283 


FOR   THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE  SEA 

no,  the  next  page."  As  he  turned  the  leaf,  the  book 
fell  from  his  hand  when  he  read  the  name  of  the 
ship  that  was  to  pursue  him,  for  after  the  number 
was  printed  the  name  of  the  frigate  Undaunted,  36, 
Captain  Richard  Heathcote. 


284 


CHAPTER    XXXIX 
Off  Tristan  da  Cimha 

THE  broad  expanse  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  on  the 
thirty-seventh  parallel  of  South  latitude,  from 
the  point  where  its  eastern  waves  roll  over  Africa's 
burning  sands  or  lie  tangent  to  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  to  that  far  quarter  of  the  globe  where  its 
western  surf  beats  on  Patagonia's  desolate  shore,  is 
broken  in  but  one  solitary  point.  In  latitude  37°  31' 
South,  longitude  12°  18'  West,  the  Island  of  Tristan 
da  Cunha,  with  its  two  small  companions,  boldly 
thrusts  its  rocky  head  out  of  the  foaming  surge,  eight 
thousand  feet  in  the  air. 

The  great  waves  of  the  mighty  deep  strike  madly 
upon  the  sub-oceanic  mountain  range  of  which  the 
island  is  a  crest,  and  after  a  thousand  leagues  of  con 
quest,  dash  themselves  into  mist  and  foam  in  eternal 
onset  upon  its  shores.  The  osprey,  the  wild  sea- 
bird,  alone  of  things  that  have  life,  builds  a  nest  upon 
its  rocky  crags,  and  its  grim  recesses  re-echo  to  no 
living  voice  but  the  wild  cries  of  these  denizens  of 
the  air. 

Lonely  and  forbidding,  and  in  those  days  uninhab 
ited,  the  bleaching  bones  of  many  a  tall  ship  told  the 
tale  of  those  dangerous  needles  of  the  sea.  Under  the 
lee  of  the  tremendous  cliffs  of  the  island,  two  brave 
ships,  small  in  comparison  to  its  huge  bulk,  were 

285 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

about  to  engage  in  mortal  combat.  For  two  days 
these  two  vessels  had  been  sailing  southward  side  by 
side,  their  crews  impatiently  waiting  for  the  hand  of 
God  to  stay  the  fury  of  the  storm,  that  they  might 
give  vent  to  the  pent  up  passions  within  their  bosoms. 

The  shifting  wind  had  given  to  the  vessel  which 
flew  the  starry  flag,  the  advantage  of  the  weather- 
gage.  Each  ship  had  reduced  its  canvas  to  the 
three  topsails  and  jib,  and  this  was  the  sail  they  had 
elected  to  fight  under.  The  sea  was  still  so  high 
that  the  muzzles  of  the  guns  in  the  main  batteries  of 
the  two  frigates  dipped  in  the  water  with  every  roll. 
It  had  been  dangerous  to  have  opened  the  closed 
ports,  but  here  in  the  lee  of  the  island,  somewhat 
sheltered  from  the  brunt  of  the  wind's  attack,  the 
ships  were  much  more  steady,  indeed,  for  this  reason 
alone  the  two  naval  commanders  had  welcomed 
their  dangerous  proximity  to  the  bold  shore,  and 
since  early  morning  revealed  the  island  before  them, 
had  been  rushing  headlong  for  their  present  position. 

Two  days  had  given  ample  time  to  make  every 
provision  dictated  by  skill  and  experience  for  the 
coming  conflict,  and  the  ships  had  been  deliberately 
stripped  and  prepared  for  action,  and  all  were  eagerly 
waiting  the  expected  shock  of  battle.  Fairford 
had  been  filled  with  gloomy  sadness  and  fore 
boding  at  the  thought  of  the  cruel  fate  which  com 
pelled  him  to  engage  with  his  brother's  ship,  though 
he  neglected  no  necessary  precaution  upon  that  ac 
count;  indeed,  knowing  the  quality  of  the  man  with 
whom  he  had  to  deal,  rather  the  reverse.  Evelyn, 
while  confident  of  the  success  of  the  English  ship 
under  her  lover's  command  in  the  approaching  con- 

286 


OFF  TRISTAN   DA   CUNHA 

flict,  was  yet  unable  entirely  to  control  her  anxiety  lest 
some  mishap  should  bring  death  upon  him.  Marga 
ret  prayed  constantly  for  Fairford's  safety,  and  went 
about  softly,  timidly  seeking  reconciliation,  but  in 
vain,  Ludlow  was  consumed  with  jealousy  at  the 
near  presence  of  his  real  rival,  and  highly  resolved 
that  no  one  should  be  before  him  in  case  the  two 
ships  came  together  and  gave  opportunity  for  board 
ing.  The  spirit  of  the  crew  was  excellent. 

Not  less  prepared  and  ready  was  the  Undaunted, 
not  less  sanguine  and  confident  her  officers,  not  less 
willing  and  impatient  her  crew,  Heathcote  had 
indeed  taken  a  leaf  out  of  America's  book,  and  care 
in  selection  and  persistency  in  drill  had  given  him  a 
body  of  men  to  command  inferior  to  none  on  the 
ocean.  He  would  show  the  enemy  that  his  ship  was 
not  the  Guerriere,  nor  the  Java,  nor  the  Macedonian ; 
he  would  duplicate,  nay  surpass,  the  work  of  the  bold 
Shannon,  when  she  captured  the  unlucky  Chesapeake. 

So  the  captain  of  one  ship  grimly  trained  hjs  guns 
upon  his  brother,  and  the  captain  of  the  other  pre 
pared  to  pour  his  torrent  of  destruction  upon  his 
love,  all  unwitting.  What  justification  under  the 
gray  angry  heaven  was  there  for  a  situation  like  to 
this?  Duty,  Honor,  Country  —  are  they  but  catch 
words  after  all,  which  we  invoke  when  blind  Fate 
arrays  the  one  man  against  the  other  for  her  own 
amusement  and  then  calls  the  game  she  plays  with 
Death  with  feeble  fatuous  men  for  counters,  war? 
Or  do  they  have  a  meaning  before  which  even  love 
itself  must  bow? 

In  running  for  the  island,  the  Narragansett,  on, 
account  of  her  superior  speed,  gained  a  slight  advan- 

287 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

tage  over  her  rival  and  was  somewhat  in  the  lead  of 
the  Undaunted.  Both  vessels  were  of  the  same  size 
and  armament,  the  English  having  a  slightly  larger 
crew.  Each  was  armed  with  long  eighteens  and 
thirty-two  pound  carronades.  Suddenly,  as  they 
came  under  the  lee  of  the  cliffs,  the  Englishman  set 
his  foresail  in  order  to  close  upon  the  American 
holding  steadily  ahead  of  him,  and  at  the  same 
instant,  a  long  tongue  of  flame  shot  out  from  the 
bow-chaser  on  the  English  ship  and  a  heavy  shot 
rushed  through  the  air  from  the  Undaunted  toward 
its  mark. 

As  the  smoke  cleared  away,  a  cloud  of  splinters 
flying  on  the  Narragansett  showed  that  the  well-aimed 
shot  had  reached  its  destination.  Captain  Fairford, 
who,  in  his  eagerness  to  reach  comparatively  smooth 
water  for  the  action,  had  run  too  close  to  the  shore  in 
these  unknown  waters,  unfortunately  found  himself  in 
a  sort  of  channel  or  pass,  and  not  liking  the  look  of 
the  water  foaming  over  a  possible  reef  off  to  port, 
was  forced  to  hold  on  as  he  was  for  a  short  period, 
•until  he  reached  a  position  in  a  small  bay  where  he 
could  safely  clear  the  reef  abreast  of  him  and  wear 
ship  off  shore. 

He  had  not  a  single  gun  with  which  to  reply,  and 
bore  the  attack  in  grim  silence. 

Six  times  the  long  gun  forward  on  the  English 
ship  sent  its  deadly  messenger  of  destruction  into  the 
American  ship.  The  gun  practice,  contrary  to  cus 
tom  of  the  English,  was  excellent,  the  after  part  of 
the  hull  had  been  severely  pounded  and  a  half 
dozen  men  at  least  had  been  killed  or  wounded. 
Controlling  his  own  impatience,  and  restraining  and 

288 


OFF  TRISTAN   DA   CUNHA 

calming  the  crew,  he  waited  until  his  ship  at  last 
cleared  the  threatening  reefs.  Then  he  put  his  helm 
hard  up  and  ran  off  before  the  wind,  and  the  gallant 
Englishman,  who  had  not  yet  reached  the  reef,  imme 
diately  did  the  same,  to  prevent  being  raked. 

As  the  two  ships,  beautifully  handled,  came  around 
smartly  together  and  ran  off  side  by  side  and  close 
to  each  other,  they  began  firing  again,  and  soon  all 
hands  were  smartly  engaged.  The  deep  roar  of  the 
great  guns  mingled  with  the  sharper  detonation  of 
the  heavy  carronades,  as  they  screamed  to  and  fro 
upon  their  slides.  The  rolling  and  pitching  of  the 
ships  would  have  made  accurate  aim  impossible  with 
a  less  trained  crew,  but  the  drill  by  which  each  had 
developed  his  men  showed  its  value  now. 

Great  rapidity  of  action  being  impossible,  they 
fired  coolly  and  with  the  utmost  deliberation.  In 
accordance  with  Fairford's  direction,  his  men  waited 
upon  the  crest  of  a  wave  until  their  ship  began  to  roll 
toward  the  opposing  ship  before  they  delivered  their 
fire  upon  the  foeman,  whom  they  soon  found  to  be 
in  every  way  worthy  of  their  steel.  They  had  been 
trained  in  as  good  a  school  as  their  American  breth 
ren,  and  their  firing  was  equally  as  deliberate  and  as 
accurate,  but  the  two  commanders  had  chosen  dif 
ferent  tactics,  the  English  firing  from  the  crest  of  the 
wave  like  the  others  but  as  their  vessel  was  rolling 
away  from  their  enemy. 

It  was  a  decision  which  finally  cost  Heathcote  his 
life  and  his  ship,  though  the  startling  effects  of  this 
upward  tendency  in  his  fire  were  at  once  apparent, 
for  most  of  the  shrouds,  braces  and  ropes  on  the  en 
gaged  side  of  the  Narragansett  were  cut  to  pieces ; 
19  289 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

the  mizzentopmast  crashed  over  forward  and  to  star, 
board  and  fell  upon  the  starboard  bulwarks,  dismant 
ling  some  of  the  guns  in  the  starboard  battery,  and 
killing  some  of  the  men  before  it  could  be  cut  adrift. 
A  half  an  hour  after  the  first  exchange  of  broadsides, 
the  lee  maintopsail  sheet  was  also  cut  by  a  shot  and 
the  sail  went  adrift,  and  aided  by  several  rents,  tore 
itself  from  the  bolt  ropes  and  flapped  to  pieces  in  the 
fierce  gale.  Deprived  of  all  her  after  sail,  the  Nar- 
ragansett  slowly  swung  off  toward  her  antagonist. 

The  two  ships  had  drifted  very  near  to  each  other 
prior  to  this  moment,  and  the  watchful  Americans 
were  painfully  impressed  by  the  fact  that  to  outward 
appearances  the  English  ship  seemed  to  be  practi 
cally  unharmed.  Aloft,  all  her  spars  were  still  stand 
ing  and  no  sail  lost  with  the  exception  of  the  jib,  the 
stay  of  which  had  been  cut  by  a  shot ;  the  jib  halyards 
also  had  been  carried  away,  and  the  sail  dragged  in 
the  water  ahead ;  this  was  a  serious  matter,  however, 
as  the  wind  on  the  after  sails  forced  the  Undaunted's 
bow  up  toward  the  American,  and  the  two  ships 
came  together  with  a  terrific  crash,  the  broadside 
of  the  Narragansett  lying  square  across  the  bow  of 
the  English  ship  with  every  gun  bearing. 

Eager  hands  had  thrown  the  grapnels  and  lashed 
the  two  ships  tightly  together.  A  raking  broadside 
delivered  at  this  short  range,  the  two  vessels  being  in 
actual  contact,  had  literally  torn  the  insides  out  of  the 
English  ship.  Fortunately  for  the  English,  just  be 
fore  the  moment  of  impact,  seeing  a  collision  inevi 
table,  Heathcote  had  called  all  hands  to  the  forecastle 
to  board,  and  as  his  lower  decks  had  been  somewhat 
cleared,  the  result  of  the  frightful  raking  at  short 

290 


OFF   TRISTAN   DA   CUNHA 

range  had  not  been  as  severe  as  the  situation  war 
ranted. 

But  his  ship  was  in  a  dreadful  condition,  the  su 
periority  of  Fairford's  tactics  being  now  apparent. 
Neglecting  the  upper  works,  which  still  showed  fair, 
his  batteries  had  devoted  themselves  strictly  to  the 
hull  of  the  doomed  frigate.  Her  decks  were  covered 
with  dead  and  dying  men,  her  guns  were  dismounted 
and  dismantled  on  every  side ;  wounded  in  her  very 
vitals,  the  ship  was  making  water  fast.  The  fore- 
topmast  of  the  Englishman  at  this  moment  came 
down  with  a  mighty  crash.  Falling  forward  and  to 
starboard,  and  striking  the  American  ship  on  the 
quarter,  for  the  two  ships  had  swung  sidewise  near 
together  again,  it  made  an  effective  bridge  from  one 
to  the  other.  Additional  lashings  at  once  bound 
them  more  closely  to  each  other,  and  they  lay  rolling 
and  crashing  and  grinding  against  each  other  like 
two  mighty  wrestlers  in  some  death  grapple  on  the 
deep. 

Fortunately  for  this  development  of  the  contest, 
the  loss  among  the  Americans  had  not  been  as  severe 
heretofore  as  among  the  English,  though  still  serious, 
most  of  the  Undaunted's  shots  taking  effect  in  the 
"gging  as  had  been  intended.  Heathcote  had  fought 
his  ship  with  the  utmost  gallantry  and  resolution,  and 
had  reduced  the  upper  works  of  the  American  until 
he  was  almost  a  perfect  wreck  aloft,  but  the  terrific 
pounding  he  had  received  in  his  own  hull  had  dimin 
ished  further  his  power  of  defence,  although  with  the 
exception  of  the  lost  foretopmast,  the  jib  and  some 
other  slight  injuries  aloft,  his  own  ship  seemed  to  be 
in  much  the  better  condition. 

291 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

The  condition  of  his  ship  resolved  him  to  risk  all 
in  a  desperate  attempt  to  carry  the  Narragansett  by 
boarding,  a  favorite  and  usually  successful  attempt 
on  the  part  of  English  ships.  When  the  foremast  of 
the  Undaunted  fell  over,  bridging  the  distance  be 
tween  the  two  ships,  all  hands  on  the  Narragansett 
were  called  away  to  repel  boarders,  first  having 
got  in  a  second  raking  broadside  to  which  no  reply 
was  made,  and  which  absolutely  let  the  daylight 
through  the  English  ship  and  completed  her  destruc 
tion  below. 

As  the  men  came  swarming  up  from  below  on  the 
Narragansett,  rushing  aft  to  the  quarter-deck  and  the 
lee  gangway,  the  rail  of  the  English  ship  was  suddenly 
covered  with  men  handling  their  cutlasses  and  pikes 
and  firing  their  pistols.  A  tall  slender  figure  sprang 
upon  the  wrecked  foremast,  cheering  his  men  and 
waving  his  sword.  At  this  instant,  a  volley  from  the 
marines  who  had  been  crouching  behind  the  rail  and 
holding  their  fire,  swept  away  the  British  who  had 
sprung  toward  them.  The  youthful  figure  upon  the 
heel  of  the  foremast  wavered  in  the  air  and  stag 
gered,  clapped  his  hand  to  his  breast  and  fell  back 
upon  his  own  deck,  but  not  before  Fairford,  with  a 
thrill  of  horror  lost  in  an  instant  in  the  stress  of  the 
conflict,  had  recognized  his  brother. 

"  Stand  by !  "  he  shouted  from  the  poop-deck  in  a 
voice  of  thunder. 

The.  Narragansett's  men  instinctively  tightened  their 
grasp  upon  their  swords  or  their  pistols,  or  shortened 
their  hold  on  the  pikes  in  their  hands  in  preparation 
for  close  action. 

"Board!  "  he  cried,  and  leaping  upon  the  English- 
292 


OFF   TRISTAN   DA   CUNHA 

man's  prostrate  foremast,  followed  by  the  seamen, 
ran  rapidly  across  the  bridge  so  formed,  in  spile  of 
a  wavering  discharge  of  small  arms  which  struck 
down  the  man  behind  him.  Meanwhile  from  the 
gangway,  old  Rhodes  made  a  leap  for  the  bow  of  the 
English  ship  towering  above  him.  Catching  the  rail 
with  his  hands  he  drew  himself  slowly  up,  when  he  was 
violently  pulled  down  from  behind.  He  struggled  a 
moment  vainly,  lost  his  balance  and  fell  back  upon 
the  deck,  cursing  and  swearing  profanely  the  while 
and  narrowly  avoiding  crushing  to  death  Master  Wil 
liam  Cotton.  That  ambitious  youth,  despairing  of 
any  other  way  oi  boarding  the  enemy,  had  endeav 
ored  to  swarm  up  the  leg  of  the  boatswain's  mate  by 
clinging  to  him  in  this  unceremonious  manner.  Leap 
ing  to  his  feet  at  once,  and  promising  Master  William 
a  rope's  ending  later,  the  old  man,  as  there  was  no 
time  for  argument,  seized  the  boy,  who  was  armed 
with  an  enormous  cutlass  many  sizes  too  big  for 
him,  by  the  jacket,  pitched  him  up  on  the  rail, 
and  with  another  spring  landed  on  the  forecastle 
himself. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  fight  young  Martin  at  the 
sound  of  the  first  gun  had  come  on  deck  in  great 
excitement,  and  at  the  moment  of  impact  seized  the 
cutlass  of  a  dead  sailor  and  springing  on  the  bowsprit 
of  the  Undaunted,  projecting  over  the  deck,  had  fol 
lowed  Ludlow  and  Berry  and  other  officers  and  men, 
and  charged  boldly  down  upon  ihe  dauntless  English 
men  on  the  forecastle  with  a  courage  and  desperation 
which  betokened  a  returning  intelligence  and  a  rec 
ollection  of  his  wrongs.  These  overwhelming  attacks, 
so  gallantly  made,  were  as  gallantly  met,  though  on 

293 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

account  of  their  losses  the  English  were  fewer  in 
number  than  their  assailants. 

The  English  captain,  gasping  from  a  bullet  wound 
in  the  breast,  lay  in  a  pool  of  blood  on  the  forecastle, 
propped  up  against  the  heel  of  the  bowsprit,  both 
his  legs  having  been  broken  by  a  grape  shot.  In 
his  hands  were  his  pistols,  and  three  or  four  more 
which  had  been  hastily  collected  lay  by  his  side. 
With  superhuman  resolution,  he  still  cheered  on  his 
brave  men  in  the  hand-to-hand  conflict  ensuing.  A 
gigantic  Englishman  with  a  swinging  stroke  of  his  cut 
lass  cut  down  old  Bill  Thompson  as  he  came  spring 
ing  along  the  mast,  and  he  was  in  turn  instantly 
impaled  upon  Fairford's  sword.  A  bullet  from  Heath- 
cote's  pistol  struck  the  unfortunate  Ludlow  fairly  in 
the  heart  and  he  instantly  pitched  forward  head  fore 
most  and  fell  dead  upon  the  deck  of  his  mortal  enemy. 
Then  the  rest  of  that  party,  now  led  by  Berry,  struck 
the  English  crowded  on  the  forecastle  and  fighting 
desperately  at  the  foretopmast,  in  the  flank,  and  they 
were  forced  to  give  back  a  little. 

There  was  no  space  for  pistol  shooting  now,  and 
the  men  in  the  tops  could  not  fire  into  the  tangled 
mass  on  the  forecastle  of  the  Undaunted,  so  cutlass 
gritted  against  cutlass,  and  steel  rained  blows  upon 
steel.  The  men  fought  without  cheering,  deep  breath 
ings  and  groanings  and  muttered  oaths  taking  the 
place,  with  now  and  then  a  shriek  of  agony.  Old 
Rhodes  soon  cleared  a  space  in  front  of  him  by  the 
skilful  use  of  his  cutlass  and  the  powerful  sweep  of 
his  mighty  arm.  Into  this  space  little  Cotton  rashly 
darted,  and  followed  impetuously  by  young  Martin, 
leaped  toward  Heathcote.  The  two  men  between 

294 


OFF  TRISTAN   DA   CUNHA 

Heathcote  and  the  approaching  Americans  were  cut 
down  by  Berry  and  Rhodes  respectively,  but  not 
until  one  of  them  had  nicked  the  life  out  of  the  small 
William  with  his  cutlass.  Samuel  Martin,  though 
wounded  by  a  stray  bullet,  sprang  over  the  little 
boy's  body  into  the  open  space  and  raised  his  cutlass 
to  drive  it  through  the  body  of  the  prostrate  English 
captain.  The  last  bullet  from  Heathcote's  last  pistol 
sent  the  young  man  to  join  his  father.  As  Rhodes 
leaped  toward  the  Englishman  with  lifted  cutlass, 
with  a  feeble  voice  he  said  faintly,  — 

"  Drive  it  home,  my  man,  I  'm  done  for." 


295 


CHAPTER  XL 

United  and  Divided 

THE  English,  fewer  in  numbers  than  the  Ameri 
cans,  had  been  forced  to  retreat  in  every  direc 
tion.  They  had  no  thought  of  surrendering,  however, 
and,  disdaining  quarter,  they  were  gradually  driven  up 
against  the  lee  rail,  where  they  fought  until  they  were 
cut  down  to  a  man.  Fairford,  powder  stained  and 
dirty,  with  torn  clothing  and  with  blood  streaming 
down  his  face  from  a  wound  which  had  cut  his  fore 
head  so  that  a  piece  of  skin  fell  down  over  his  eye, 
nearly  blinding  him,  staggered  over  to  where  Heath- 
cote  lay  dying,  his  head  supported  by  one  of  the 
American  sailors  by  Rhodes's  direction. 

"  Great  God  !  Blake,  was  it  your  ship  ?  "  murmured 
the  astonished  and  dying  Englishman,  "  I  might  have 
suspected  from  the  fight  you  were  putting  up  that  it 
was  one  of  the  family.  You  have  won  again  .  .  . 
too  bad  .  .  .  but  you  are  a  wreck  aloft  as  I  am 
below,"  he  said  feebly. 

"  Run  over  to  the  Narragansett  for  a  surgeon's 
mate,  some  one.  Bear  a  hand  for  God's  sake,"  cried 
Fairford,  in  great  agony  of  mind. 

"  Never  mind  the  doctor,  Blake.  I  Ve  got  it  in 
both  legs,  and  I  Ve  got  it  in  the  breast.  Tell  Evelyn 
.  .  ."  he  murmured. 

2Q6 


UNITED   AND   DIVIDED 

"Can  nothing  be  done,  Dick?"  said  Fairford",, 
sweeping  the  blood  from  his  face  with  his  hands  and 
tying  a  handkerchief  about  his  head. 

"  Nothing,"  said  the  latter,  opening  his  eyes  wear 
ily.  "  I  am  gone  .  .  .  good-bye,  Blake  .  .  .  the  game 
is  up  ...  you  have  won  .  .  .  where 's  mother  .  .  . 
tell  Eve  .  .  .  What's  that,  a  vision?"  he  almost 
shrieked,  with  a  sudden  accession  of  strength,  lifting 
his  head  from  the  Narragansett  man's  arms,  as  a 
woman  stepped  upon  the  deck  of  the  Undaunted, 
looking  wildly  about  her.  Her  glance  fell  first  upon 
the  body  of  a  man  lying  face  upward  at  her  feet,  his- 
left  hand  pressed  upon  his  heart,  his  right  hand  still 
holding  his  sword.  It  was  Ludlow.  He  had  met 
death  as  he  had  faced  life  .  .  .  with  a  smiling  face. 
A  wave  of  pity  swept  over  her  as  she  realized  who- 
lay  before  her,  and  then  her  searching  eye  fell  upon, 
the  little  group  forward.  With  a  wild  scream  she 
sprang  toward  them. 

"  Is  it  a  vision?  "  asked  Heathcote,  faintly. 

"  No,  it  is  I,  in  flesh'and  blood,  come  to  save  you,, 
my  love,  my  king,"  she  whispered,  falling  upon  her 
knees  and  relieving  the  sailor  holding  her  lover's 
head.  "Where  are  you  wounded?  Where  do  you 
suffer?" 

"Nowhere,  since  you  are  here,  sweetheart,"  he 
whispered,  smiling. 

"  A  surgeon,"  she  cried  to  Fairford,  as  she  noticed 
Heathcote's  deadly  pallor,  "  for  God's  sake,  quick  !" 

"  I  will  see  to  it  at  once,"  answered  the  American, 
weakly,  rising  to  his  feet  and  staggering  back  toward 
his  own  ship,  faint  from  loss  of  blood. 

In  the  forecastle  of  the  Narragansett,  whither  he 
297 


FOR   THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

been  carried  by  his  shipmates,  lay  old  Bill  Thomp 
son,  dying.  Master  Joseph  Rhodes,  his  whilom  antago 
nist  and  devoted  friend,  who  had  come  unharmed 
through  the  fight,  was  kneeling  beside  him.  In  his 
last  moments  he  opened  his  eyes  slowly  and  recog 
nized  the  boatswain's  mate.  His  lips  moved,  and  the 
old  seaman  bent  down  to  listen. 

"  I  guess,"  said  the  dying  sailor,  feebly,  "  that  maybe 
I  'd  'a'  done  better  ...  if  I  'd  'a'  believed  that  there 
yarn  .  .  .  about  Jones,"  and  then  the  voice  of  the 
poor  sceptic  was  stilled  forever.  To  believe  or  not 
to  believe  in  Jonah,  that  was  his  theology. 

"I  wonder  if  that  confession  come  too  late?"  mut 
tered  old  Rhodes,  brushing  away  a  rare  tear  with  the 
back  of  his  hard  hand. 

The  English  ship,  which  was  clear  above,  was  a 
wreck  below.  When  the  men  on  the  forecastle  had 
been  beaten  by  the  Americans,  opposition  had  ceased 
because  there  were  none  left  to  carry  it  on.  A  grim 
blood-stained  veteran  stood  alone  at  the  wheel,  one 
or  two  others  still  unwounded  had  thrown  down  their 
arms.  The  marines  and  others  in  the  tops  had  of 
course  surrendered. 

The  broken  and  battered  deck  and  hull  in  which 
apparently  every  shot  from  the  Narragansett's  heavy 
batteries  had  taken  effect,  looked  like  a  slaughter 
house.  Below  in  the  cockpit,  the  surgeon  killed  by 
a  stray  shot  —  in  one  of  the  rakings  —  had  fallen  dead 
upon  the  body  of  the  man  upon  whom  he  had  been 
operating,  who  had  quietly  bled  to  death  under  his 
dead  hand.  The  ship  had  been  literally  beaten  to 
pieces.  At  the  close  range,  the  shot  from  the  car- 
ronades  went  smashing  through  her,  fairly  crushing 

298 


UNITED   AND   DIVIDED 

everything  before  them.  Grape  from  the  long  guns 
and  solid  shot  as  well,  and  the  two  raking  broadsides 
she  had  received  had  demolished  everything  between 
decks.  Everything  was  wet  with  blood,  cumbered 
with  dead  and  wounded  of  both  crews,  from  the  hand- 
to-hand  righting.  All  were  shrieking,  praying,  curs 
ing  or  groaning,  as  they  rolled  to  and  fro  on  the 
unsteady  ship. 

A  few  seconds  after  Fairford  had  dropped  back 
upon  his  own  deck,  followed  by  most  of  his  men, 
the  lashings,  already  strained,  carried  away  suddenly, 
under  the  rolling  of  the  two  ships  in  the  tremendous 
seas,  and  the  inert  English  vessel  drifted  heavily  away. 
Before  Fairford  could  summon  his  own  surgeon  the 
two  ships  had  parted.  His  wound  dazed  him  some 
what,  and  as  he  stood  stupidly  looking  at  the  English 
ship  drifting  away  and  plainly  sinking,  he  forgot  for 
the  moment  his  errand.  A  cry  of  anguish  close  be 
side  him  recalled  him  to  himself. 

"  Blake,  Blake,"  shrieked  a  terrified  voice  at  his 
elbow  at  the  sight  of  his  blood-stained,  powder-black 
ened  face,  "  you  are  wounded  .  .  .  killed  .  .  .  God 
have  mercy !  " 

It  was  Margaret,  who  had  come  below  when  Eve 
lyn,  wild  with  anxiety,  had  done  so  as  the  roar  of  the 
cannonade  had  died  away.  The  two  girls  had  learned 
from  the  wounded  and  captured  English  seamen  when 
they  reached  the  deck,  that  the  prize  really  was  the 
Undaunted,  commanded  by  Heathcote,  confirming 
their  fears.  Evelyn  had  torn  herself  from  Margaret's 
restraining  hand,  and  had  leaped  aboard.  Margaret 
was  at  the  moment  endeavoring  to  follow  her,  when 
she  was  confronted  by  her  lover. 

299 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"He's  gone,"  said  Fairford,  wildly,  putting  his 
hand  to  his  head;  "it's  Dick's  ship  I  have  captured, 
and  we  have  killed  him.  Poor  mother,"  he  muttered, 
leaning  against  the  main  fife-rail. 

"  Yes,  yes,  of  course,"  said  Margaret,  eagerly,  "  but 
you,  Blake,  tell  me  of  yourself,  you  are  wounded?" 
At  this  moment  Fairford  came  to  himself  again.  In 
that  scene  of  blood,  of  death,  of  ruin,  of  despair,  he 
saw  only  this  woman. 

"  Do  you  care  if  I  live  or  die?"  he  cried,  turning 
to  her. 

"Care?"  she  cried,  fearlessly  looking  him  in  the 
face,  "  oh,  blind  and  foolish,  do  you  not  see  that  I 
love  you  ?  " 

"  Thank  God  !  "  he  sobbed,  impulsively  catching 
her  hand,  careless  of  who  might  see.  "It's  the  sec 
ond  victory  of  the  morning,  and  the  better." 

"  Look  to  the  English  ship,  sir,"  said  Rhodes  at 
this  moment,  "  she 's  sinking,  and  there  's  a  woman  on 
board  her." 

"  Good  God ! "  said  Fairford,  while  Margaret 
screamed,  — 

"  Evelyn,  Evelyn.     You  must  get  her  off." 

"  Mr.  Berry,"  said  the  captain  to  that  officer,  "  I  do 
not  see  Mr.  Ludlow.  Make  what  sail  you  can  and 
close  with  the  prize.  Quick,  for  your  lives,  men. 
There's  a  woman  on  board  her." 

As  the  unwounded  seamen  of  the  Narragansett 
sprang  into  the  remnants  of  the  rigging,  the  helm 
was  shifted  and  the  vessel  slowly  started  toward  her 
beaten  antagonist.  In  the  first  of  the  hurry  and  con 
fusion  after  the  battle,  though  the  ship  had  been  sur 
rendered,  the  English  flag  had  not  been  hauled  down, 

300 


UNITED   AND   DIVIDED 

and  afterward  Fairford  commanded  that  it  be  allowed 
to  remain  flying.  The  seamen  had  hardly  gained  the 
futtock  shrouds  when  the  cry,  "  Sail  ho ! "  rang 
through  the  ship  from  half  a  dozen  affrighted  voices. 

"Where  away?"  cried  Berry. 

"  Right  astern,  sir,  a  large  ship  coming  around  the 
island,  making  up  fast." 

In  the  stress  of  the  battle,  no  one  had  noticed  the 
near  approach  of  a  heavy  ship-of-the-line. 

"What  now,  sir?"  cried  Berry,  promptly. 

"  We  must  get  away  from  that  one  if  we  can,"  an 
swered  Fairford,  without  a  moment  of  hesitation. 

"And  leave  Evelyn?  "  cried  Margaret,  frantically, 
"you  cannot  mean  to  abandon  her  on  that  sinking 
ship?" 

Fairford  sternly  shook  his  head. 

"  If  you  love  me,"  cried  Margaret. 

"  I  cannot,"  said  Fairford,  brokenly.  "  Duty  ...  I 
must  look  first  of  all  to  my  ship.  Square  away !  '* 
The  helm  was  put  up,  and  such  sail  as  could  be 
spread  upon  the  Narragansett  immediately  gave  her 
way  through  the  water. 

"  Pray  God,"  said  Fairford,  "  that  the  spars  hold, 
else  we  are  lost.  The  English  may  delay  by  the 
prize  and  give  us  a  chance  to  escape." 

Even  under  the  reduced  sail  which  the  weakened 
spars  and  the  heavy  wind  permitted  her  to  carry,  the 
Narragansett  showed  her  marvellous  speed.  They 
might  still  get  away.  After  a  time  the  pursuing  ship 
overhauled  the  sinking  frigate.  As  Fairford  thought, 
the  English  ship  hove  to  abreast  of  the  wreck.  She 
might  yet  be  in  time  to  rescue  Evelyn  and  the  rest. 
Fairford  and  Margaret  and  all  the  others  with  strain- 

301 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

ing  eyes  watched  her  lower  a  boat  in  the  heavy  sea; 
but  alas,  before  it  reached  the  Undaunted,  that  gal 
lant  vessel,  her  colors  still  flying  from  the  mast-head, 
plunged  beneath  the  waves,  and  disappeared  in  its 
depths. 

"  See !  She  's  gone,"  cried  Fairford,  in  a  hollow 
voice  to  the  fainting  girl  at  his  side. 

The  gallant  Ludlow  with  his  smiling  face,  upon 
whom  even  in  the  midst  of  her  despair  Evelyn  had 
found  time  to  bestow  a  touch  of  pity  —  he  had  loved 
her ;  the  little  boy  whose  prize-money  would  go  no 
more  to  his  mother;  the  hundreds  of  other  officers 
and  men  of  both  ships ;  the  dead  Heathcote  himself, 
over  whose  head  still  fluttered  the  flag  he  had  fought 
for,  whose  lips  were  still  wet  with  the  long  kiss  of 
farewell  of  the  woman  he  had  loved ;  that  woman 
herself,  standing  erect  to  meet  death  by  her  lover's 
side,  between  the  bodies  of  the  dead,  ringed  about  by 
the  wounded,  who  stifled  their  groans  as  they  looked 
upon  her,  undaunted  and  matchless,  —  all  were  gone  ! 
Friend  and  foe,  gallant  enemy,  youthful  lovers,  sank 
in  peace  together  into  the  deep.  So  it  was  over. 
The  prophecy  of  her  lighter  moments  had  proven 
true,  and  Evelyn  had  ended  her  cruise  under  the 
British  flag. 

In  the  vast  vortex  made  by  the  sinking  ship,  a  few 
heads  were  seen  and  some  men  were  picked  up  by 
the  boat-party  on  the  water.  Of  all  the  splendid 
fabric  which  had  gone  into  action  so  magnificently 
that  morning,  of  the  heroic  crew  who  had  displayed 
all  the  gallantry  of  their  nation,  there  were  left  only  a 
few  floating  spars  upon  the  ocean.  There  were  one 
or  two  men  in  the  English  boat,  and  one  or  two  upon 

302 


UNITED   AND   DIVIDED 

the  Narragansett's  deck  as  that  ship  desperately  made 
her  way  northward.  The  cutter  was  soon  hauled  to 
the  davits  on  the  line-of-battle-ship  and  the  latter 
filled  away  in  pursuit  again.  Slowly  she  began  to 
overhaul  the  hapless  American  with  her  load  of  dead 
and  dying  upon  her  deck.  The  pursuing  Englishman 
set  his  foresail  and  main  top-gallant  sail  at  the  same 
moment  that  the  maintopmast  of  the  Narragansett 
finally  succumbed  to  the  strain  upon  it.  Then  the 
liner  ranged  ahead  across  the  pathway  of  the  ship. 

A  broken  thirty-six  after  the  desperate  victory 
already  won  that  morning,  could  make  no  fight 
against  a  new  ninety  gun  ship-of-the-line ;  with  his 
own  hand,  to  save  any  one  else  the  humiliation, 
Fairford  slowly  lowered  his  flag.  As  the  colors  struck 
the  deck,  old  Rhodes  with  a  deep  groan  snapped  his; 
cutlass  across  his  knee  and  threw  the  pieces  over 
board.  Another  boat  from  the  liner  was  brought 
alongside  after  successful  though  difficult  manoeuvring 
in  the  heavy  sea,  and  several  men  clambered  aboard. 

"What  ship  is  this?"  said  the  officer  at  the  head, 
advancing  toward  Fairford,  and  at  once  removing  his 
hat  at  the  sight  of  Margaret  clinging  to  her  lover's 
arm. 

"The  United  States  Ship  Narragansett,  which  I 
have  the  honor  to  command.  What  ship  is  that 
one?" 

"  His  Britannic  Majesty's  Ship  Poictiers,  Captain 
Edward  Lascelles,  flying  the  flag  of  Vice  Admiral 
Hardy.  Thinking  you  might  need  them,  we  have 
brought  two  surgeons  and  a  surgeon's  mate  with  us 
to  help  you.  Heavens  !  how  cut  up  you  are  !  What 
ship  was  that  you  fought  with?  Both  men  we  got 

3°3 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

in  the  water  were  too  badly  wounded  to  give  any 
-•coherent  account  of  themselves." 

"  That  was  formerly  His  Britannic  Majestyls  Ship 
Undaunted,  prize  to  this  ship  when  you  came  up," 
said  Fairford,  proudly. 

"  Prize,  sir?  We  noticed  that  she  went  down  with 
her  colors  flying." 

"Ay,  sir,  she  was  allowed  to  fly  them  by  my 
direction." 

"Why  that,  sir?" 

"  Because,"  answered  Fairford,  slowly,  "  her  captain 
•\vas  my  brother." 

"  Your  brother  !     Then  you  are  .  .  ." 

"  Captain  Blakely  Fairford,  at  your  service." 

"  Great  God !  only  to  think  of  it !  "  said  the  ap 
palled  lieutenant. 

"  Did  you  pick  up  a  woman  with  your  little  boat, 
sir?"  said  Margaret,  faintly. 

"  No,  madam,"  said  the  officer,  in  great  surprise, 
•"  was  there  a  woman  on  board?  " 

The  limp  figure  which  sank  to  the  deck  at  his  feet 
told  Fairford  that  the  strain  had  at  last  proved  too 
much  for  Margaret.  When  they  had  succeeded  in 
reviving  her,  he  carried  her  down  into  the  English 
man's  boat  and  they  were  rowed  to  the  Poictiers. 
The  gallant  old  admiral  refused  to  take  his  sword, 
and  showed  to  him  and  the  rest  of  the  crew  the  same 
attentions  which  under  similar  circumstances  had  been 
-so  thoughtfully  bestowed  by  the  Americans  upon  the 
English  whom  they  had  captured. 

As  Fairford  and  Margaret  stepped  upon  the  deck 
•of  the  Poictiers  the  young  captain  turned  and  looked 
£>ack  upon  his  ship.  As  he  gazed  upon  her,  the  stops 

304 


UNITED   AND   DIVIDED 

of  a  ball  of  bunting  which  had  been  slowly  hoisted 
to  the  gaff  were  broken,  and  there  above  his  beautiful 
frigate  fluttered  the  English  flag.  As  far  as  they 
were  concerned,  the  cruise  of  the  Narragansett  was 
over. 


20 


CHAPTER  XLI 
A  Companion  of  Nelson 

THE  great  English  admiral  treated  the  captives 
with  the  utmost  consideration.  He  set  apart  a 
stateroom  in  his  own  cabin  for  the  use  of  Margaret, 
and  another  was  allotted  to  Fairford,  who  was  im 
mediately  placed  under  the  care  of  a  surgeon,  and  it 
was  not  until  the  following  day  that  he  was  permitted 
to  rise  from  his  berth.  During  the  rest  of  the  day 
and  the  night  following,  the  Poictiers  stood  by  the 
prize,  which  was  found  to  be  practically  unharmed 
in  the  hull,  though  frightfully  cut  up  aloft,  until  the 
jury  masts  had  been  rigged,  rigging  spliced,  and  other 
preparations  made  for  the  long  voyage  to  England. 
Throwing  a  heavy  prize  crew  on  board  of  her,  the 
line-of-battle-ship  squared  away  for  home,  the  next 
morning,  leaving  the  captured  frigate  to  make  the 
best  of  her  way  there  alone  under  the  small  sail 
which  she  could  now  carry,  which  by  the  way  she 
did  in  safety.  That  night  the  admiral,  the  captain 
of  the  ship,  Fairford,  and  Margaret  dined  together  in 
the  great  cabin,  when  the  eventful  story  of  the  cruise 
was  told. 

"  I  understood  you  to  say,"  said  the  admiral, 
"  that  you  had  captured  your  ship  from  the  English, 
yet  as  I  observed  her  closely,  I  could  have  sworn  her 
lines  were  American  rather  than  English." 

306 


A   COMPANION   OF  NELSON 

"  So  they  are,  sir,"  said  Fairford,  smiling.  "  The 
fact  is,  we  built  her  at  Washington,  launched  her  and 
rigged  her  and  then  provisioned  her  for  a  long  cruise, 
for  which  she  was  all  ready  with  the  exception  of  a 
crew,  when  Ross  and  Cockburn  with  your  men  came 
along  and  captured  Washington.  .  .  ." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  the  admiral,  "  that's  a  piece  of  news 
that  we  have  not  heard." 

"  And  burnt  it  as  well." 

"Burnt  it?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Vandalism,  vandalism !  I  am  surprised,"  muttered 
the  admiral. 

"  An  action  like  that  is  very  bad  policy,"  said  the 
captain.  "  It  serves  no  other  purpose  than  to  exasper 
ate  the  people.  They  can  easily  build  a  new  capital, 
but  it  takes  blood  to  wipe  out  the  shame  and  insult." 

"  Quite  so,"  replied  Fairford.  "  Well,  at  any  rate, 
the  Narragansett  was  captured  and  dropped  down 
the  Potomac  to  the  Chesapeake  under  the  command 
of  a  Captain  Cunningham." 

"Oh,"  said  the  admiral,  "Henry  Cunningham,  a 
hard  man,  I  know  him  slightly.  How  is  it  with 
him?" 

"  He  is  dead,  sir,"  answered  Fairford. 

"Was  he  killed  in  the  recapture?" 

"  No,  sir.  Three  deserters  from  your  Navy  were 
on  board  the  Narragansett  when  she  was  recaptured ; 
one  of  them  was  an  Englishman,  he  was  hung.  We 
found  him  swinging  at  the  yard-arm  the  morning 
after  we  cut  her  out.  The  other  two,  a  father  and  his 
son  ..."  Fairford  hesitated,  not  liking  to  offend 
the  generous  old  admiral. 

3°7 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

"  Out  with  it,  lad  ;  speak  the  truth  without  fear  or 
favor,  and  never  mind  me." 

"  Well,  sir,  they  were  Americans,  and  they  were 
sentenced  to  three  hundred  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty  lashes  respectively.  When  he  was  released  from 
the  gratings,  the  old  man,  who  had  been  punished 
first,  seized  Cunningham  before  any  one  could  stop 
him  and  went  overboard  with  him  in  his  arms. 
Neither  of  them  ever  rose  to  the  surface." 

"  Great  Powers  !  "  said  the  admiral,  staring,  "  you 
don't  mean  to  tell  me  that?" 

"Yes,  sir, just  that.  Evelyn  Heathcotewas  aboard 
that  ship  at  the  time  and  heard  it  all,"  said  Margaret. 

"  Pray'i  Miss  Barrett,  who  is  Evelyn  Heathcote?" 
said  Captain  Lascelles. 

"  She  was  a  distant  relative  and  the  betrothed  of 
Captain  Heathcote  of  the  Undaunted.  She  who 
\vent  down  with  the  ship,"  answered  Margaret,  her 
•eyes  filling  with  tears. 

"  They  were  aboard  the  Narragansett  when  our 
boat  party  cut  her  out  the  night  following  the  death 
of  Captain  Cunningham,"  explained  Fairford. 

"  I  am  not  a  believer,"  said  Admiral  Hardy,  "  in 
flogging  except  in  very  extreme  cases.  The  great 
Lord  Nelson  ...  we  '11  drink  to  him,  Captain  Fair- 
ford,  if  you  have  no  objections  ..." 

"  Ay,  sir,"  said  Fairford,  promptly,  "  with  the 
greatest  pleasure*.  Nowhere  is  the  great  seaman 
admired  more  than  with  us." 

"  Ay,  he  was  a  royal  man,"  said  old  Hardy,  sipping 
his  glass  thoughtfully;  "  we  were  shipmates  on  many 
a  cruise,  and  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  in  many  a 
desperate  battle.  He  once  saved  me  from  a  Spanish 

308 


A  COMPANION   OF  NELSON 

prison  at  the  risk  of  his  ship,  as  possibly  you  may 
have  heard.  He  had  his  faults,  perhaps  I  should  say,, 
his  one  fault,  but  in  spite  of  that,  I  humbly  trust  I 
do  no  wrong  in  hoping  that  I  may  be  found  fit 
to  stand  beside  him  again  when  I  have  slipped  my 
cable  for  the  eternal  cruise  beyond.  He  did  not 
approve  of  flogging  except  in  the  extremest  cases, 
and  I  learned  my  seamanship  and  discipline  in  his 
school." 

Margaret,  who  was  sitting  next  to  the  admiral,  im 
pulsively  caught  his  hand,  which  was  lying  upon  the 
table,  and  pressed  it  with  both  her  own. 

"Ah,  Miss  Barrett,  that  pleases  you,  I  see." 

"  It  pleases  every  one,  sir,"  said  Fairford. 

"  I  hope  to  see  the  day,"  said  the  admiral,  "  when 
it  will  be  abolished  in  every  service.  Pray  proceed 
with  your  narrative,  Captain  Fairford." 

"  Well,  sir,  about  sixteen  knots  below  where  we 
cut  her  out,  lay  a  cluster  of  islands  behind  which  I 
determined  to  seek  shelter  for  a  few  hours  in  order 
to  discharge  my  prisoners,  and  let  the  two  pursuing 
ships  get  on  ahead  of  me,  so  that  when  I  ran  down 
for  the  ocean  in  the  morning,  I  could  have  all  my 
foes  in  front." 

"  That 's  a  desire  of  the  Anglo-Saxon,  I  believe," 
remarked  the  captain. 

"  In  order  to  bring  my  ship  safely  through  the  pass 
between  the  islands  and  the  mainland,  it  was  necessary 
to  have  a  light  on  a  certain  point  on  the  mainland.  I 
had  sent  a  messenger  on  to  Colonel  Barrett,  the 
father  of  Miss  Barrett  here,  to  get  a  horse  and  ride 
through  the  woods  and  display  the  beacon.  The 
man  met  with  some  accident  ..." 

309 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

"  He  was  shot,"  said  Margaret,  "  by  a  British 
picket." 

"  But  he  managed  to  crawl  up  to  the  house  and 
tell  the  story,"  said  Fairford  ;  "  the  colonel  was  ill,  the 
man  had  been  delayed,  the  hour  was  late,  and  there 
was  no  one  to  go  but  his  daughter  .  .  .  " 

"What!"  cried  the  admiral,  in  astonishment. 

"  Impossible !  "  ejaculated  the  captain. 

"  Yes,  gentlemen,  this  young  lady.  She  rode  that 
fifteen  miles  in  a  terrific  storm  entirely  unaccompanied, 
breaking  through  a  picket  party  at  the  bridge,  losing 
her  horse  from  a  chance  shot  from  them,  and  ran  on 
alone  and  lighted  the  beacon.  The  men  I  sent  ashore 
found  her  senseless  on  the  rock  and  brought  her 
aboard.  We  succeeded  in  breaking  through  the 
ships  at  the  mouth  of  the  bay  by  running  over  a 
picket  boat,  got  to  sea,  and  picked  up  a  crew  from  a 
captured  prize.  We  got  some  officers  from  the  Con 
stitution,  with  which  we  were  fortunate  enough  to  fall 
in,  headed  for  the  southward,  and  did  n't  sight  a  sail 
until  we  passed  by  an  English  fleet  several  days 
since." 

"Yes,"  said  the  admiral,  "my  fleet.  I  sent  them 
on  ahead,  being  detained  at  Cape  Town  myself." 

"  When  we  flew  our  colors  in  passing  them,  the 
three  frigates  all  signalled  the  flagship  for  leave 
to  pursue,  and  the  Undaunted  received  the  desired 
permission.  We  ran  along  side  by  side  to  the  south 
ward  for  two  days,  until  the  storm  abated  sufficiently, 
and  then  rounded  to  under  the  lee  of  Tristan  da 
Cunha  and  had  it  out." 

"  Did  you  know  it  was  your  brother's  ship?" 

"  I  did,  sir.  You  know  I  had  your  signal  book 
310 


A  COMPANION   OF  NELSON 

and  your  Navy  list  as  well.  I  would  have  preferred 
any  other  ship,"  said  Fairford,  "  to  that,  but  my  duty, 
sir  ,  .  ." 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  said  the  admiral,  mournfully, 
"  duty  has  no  respect  for  family  relationships." 

"  When  we  had  captured  the  Undaunted,  after  a 
desperate  hand-to-hand  fight  on  her  own  decks,  prior 
to  which  my  brother  had  been  mortally  wounded 
while  attempting  to  board  us,  Miss  Heathcote  learned 
that  my  brother,  to  whom  she  was  betrothed,  was  in 
command  and  wounded,  whereupon  she  immediately 
came  aboard.  When  I  returned  to  my  own  ship, 
intending  to  make  arrangements  for  the  transfer  of 
the  wounded,  she  remained  with  her  lover.  You 
were  sighted  immediately,  and  I  felt  it  my  duty  to 
attempt  to  preserve  my  ship,  so  we  sailed  away  and 
left  them,  and  they  went  down  together." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  admiral,  solemnly  rising, 
"  I  wish  to  give  you  a  toast.  Drink  with  me  to  the 
two  bravest  women  I  know  of.  To  the  eternal 
memory  of  Mistress  Evelyn  Heathcote,  who  chose  to 
go  down  with  her  lover  in  his  ruined  ship  rather  than 
live  without  him,  and  the  living  presence  of  Mistress 
Margaret  Barrett,  for  whose  courage  and  hardihood 
in  taking  that  ride  her  country  should  be  ever  grate 
ful.  God  bless  me,  my  little  miss,"  said  the  admiral, 
with  moist  eyes,  and  laying  his  hand  upon  her 
shoulder,  "  you  are  worthy  to  have  been  the  bride  of 
a"  Nelson." 

"  Instead  of  which,  admiral,"  said  Fairford,  quietly, 
"  she  has  agreed  to  try  to  be  content  with  me." 

"  Sir,  you  are  a  lucky  sailor,  but,  Miss  Barrett,  you 
will  not  find  it  a  difficult  task,  I  am  sure,  for  your  hus- 

3" 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

band  will  certainly  take  his  place  among  the  great 
captains  of  your  country,  Hull,  Decatur,  and  Bain- 
bridge,  and  the  others  whom  this  war  has  introduced 
to  us.  What  are  your  purposes  for  England,  Captain 
Fairford?" 

"  They  depend  largely  upon  your  pleasure,  sir." 

"  My  pleasure  is  to  have  you  paroled  at  once,  and 
left  at  liberty  until  you  are  properly  exchanged;  and 
if  Mistress  Barrett  will  be  graciously  pleased  to  accept 
the  hospitality  of  Lady  Hardy  and  myself  in  the 
mean  time,  and  you  also,  we  shall  indeed  feel  honored. 
In  any  event  pray  make  use  of  my  purse  as  your 
own,"  said  the  kind  and  generous  admiral. 

"  In  that  case,  sir,  I  shall  feel  it  my  duty  to  visit 
my  mother  at  once.  You  know  how  I  came  to  be 
related  to  Richard  Heathcote,  sir?" 

"  Yes,"  said  the  admiral,  "  I  have  heard  the  story. 
It  is  known  all  through  the  service  that  poor  Heath- 
cote  has  an  American  brother  in  your  Navy." 

"  I  have  not  seen  her  for  many  years,  and  I  feel 
that  the  awful  duty  of  telling  her  of  the  death  of  her 
husband  and  son  has  devolved  upon  me.  I  shrink 
from  it,  but  it  must  be  done." 

"  I  would  rather  fight  a  battle  than  do  it  myself," 
said  Hardy,  thoughtfully,  "  but  duty,  you  know,  my 
lad  .  .  ." 

Ah,  duty,  how  many  sacrifices  are  exacted  from  us 
in  thy  inexorable  name. 


SSoofc  VI 

THE   PRIDE   OF   THE    FITZHUGHS 
IS    BROKEN 


3*3 


CHAPTER  XLII 
Their  Wedding  Journey 

IT  had  been  snowing  for  several  days  previously, 
and  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see  on  this  Christmas 
morning,  the  earth  was  enwrapped  in  its  mantle  of 
white.  A  chaise  and  pair  coming  along  the  old  road 
found  progression  difficult  indeed,  and  it  was  with  a 
great  sigh  of  relief  that  the  post  boy  drew  rein  before 
the  door  of  the  inn.  The  little  village  of  Heathcote, 
nestling  snugly  in  the  valley,  consisted  of  one  long 
street  with  the  inn  at  one  end,  and  the  Church  at  the 
other.  Upon  a  gentle  hill  overlooking  the  hamlet 
and  the  valley  as  well,  rose  the  gray  weather-darkened 
towers  of  Heathcote  Hall,  showing  plainly  through 
the  snow-laden  branches  of  the  mighty  beech-trees 
which  surrounded  it.  The  villagers  were  already  at 
work  clearing  the  paths  in  front  of  their  doors  in  the 
early  morning,  when  the  chaise  drew  up  before  the 
inn. 

A  tall  handsome  man  of  military  bearing,  though 
clad  in  civilian  dress  and  wrapped  in  a  long  paletot, 
sprang  to  the  ground,  and  stretching  out  his  arms 
tenderly  lifted  from  the  vehicle  a  slender  little  figure 
wrapped  in  bundles  of  fur.  He  did  not  deposit  her 
upon  the  snow-covered  earth,  but  carried  her  past 
the  astonished  hostler,  who  had  come  bustling  forth 
in  obedience  to  the  post  boy's  signal,  and  who  was 

3*5 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF   THE   SEA 

rewarded  by  a  glimpse  of  a  ravishingly  beautiful  face 
from  beneath  the  large  bonnet  which  she  wore,  and 
stood  her  down  within  the  doorway  of  the  inn.  He 
seized  a  kiss  while  he  held  her,  like  Mahomet's  coffin, 
suspended  in  the  air  'twixt  heaven  and  earth,  before 
he  allowed  her  dainty  feet  to  touch  the  floor. 

"  Up  in  the  air  like  that,  Blake,  I  must  admit  that 
you  are  master,  I  feel  so  little  and  helpless  when  you 
take  me  up  in  that  way;  but  when  I  am  on  terra 
firma  again,  conditions  are  reversed,  sir.  Don't  dare 
to  kiss  me  again  without  my  permission.  That's 
the  five  hundredth  time  this  morning." 

"  Did  n't  you  promise  to  obey  me  the  other  day 
in  the  chapel  at  Admiral  Hardy's  house  when  we 
were  married,  dearest?" 

"  Did  I  ?  "  said  Margaret,  in  great  surprise.  "  The 
fact  is  I  was  so  agitated  then  that  I  scarce  recall  what 
I  said." 

"  At  any  rate,  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you 
will  not  obey  any  command  that  I  might  give  you, 
instanter?" 

"  Of  course  I  will  not.  You  are  to  obey  me,  abso 
lutely,  entirely,  unquestionably  .  .  ."  cried  Margaret. 

"Can  I  furnish  you  with  an  adverb,  madam,  to 
help  you  out?  "  cried  Fairford,  bending  forward  again, 
when  he  was  interrupted  by  the  belated  landlord, 
who,  through  a  singular  remissness  on  the  part  of 
the  household,  had  not  been  notified  of  their  advent 
until  this  moment.  He  came  forward  zealously  in 
tent  upon  repairing  his  lack  of  welcome,  with 
loquacity,  if  nothing  else. 

"  Good  morning  to  your  honor,"  he  said,  rubbing 
his  hands  and  bowing  obsequiously,  "  and  the  young 

316 


THEIR   WEDDING  JOURNEY 

lady  as  well,  sir.  I  hope  I  see  you  both  well,  sir, 
though  there's  no  need  to  ask  such  a  fine  looking 
couple  that  question.  Step  this  way  into  the  parlor 
where  there  's  a  fire,  and  a  Merry  Christmas  to  you 
both,  sir,  being  it 's  Christmas  morning." 

"  Thank  you,  my  good  man,"  returned  Fairford, 
as,  preceded  by  his  wife,  he  stepped  into  a  cosy  low- 
ceiled  parlor,  fitted  with  comfortable  old  fashioned 
furniture,  and  with  a  bright  wood  fire  blazing  and 
crackling  upon  the  hearth.  "  We  have  been  travel 
ling  since  very  early  this  morning  from  the  last 
posting  station,  in  order  to  get  here  in  time  for 
Christmas  service.  I  suppose  there  will  be  one  at 
the  Church  I  saw  yonder?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  oh  certainly,  sir,  at  half  past  ten  o'clock. 
Lady  Anne 's  most  particular  about  it,  and  the  vicar 
too,"  replied  the  man. 

"  That 's  well.  Meanwhile,  my  wife  has  had 
nothing  to  eat,  nothing  but  a  cup  of  tea  that  is,  and 
we  would  like  some  breakfast  at  once.  Can  you 
serve  us  something  here?" 

"  Of  course,  sir,  anything  your  honor  pleases." 

"  Well,  bring  us  something  good  and  substantial,' 
said  Margaret,  smiling,  "  and  good  master  landlord, 
do  bring  it  quickly,  please,  my  husband  and  I  are 
famishing." 

"  Oh,  never  mind  on  my  account,  landlord,  but 
my  wife  must  have  something  at  once." 

"  I  think  you  will  find  that  my  husband  will  eat 
his  share,"  returned  Margaret  at  once.  The  way 
they  lingered  upon  the  two  hymeneal  titles  inevitably 
betrayed  them. 

"  Lord  bless  you,  sir,  and   the  young  lady  too,  I 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM  OF  THE  SEA 

will  have  you  something  good  here  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye,  enough  for  a  dozen  of  you,  and  my  wife's 
the  best  cook  in  these  parts  of  Surrey  if  I  do  say  so 
myself,"  replied  the  landlord,  beaming  complacently 
on  the  two  a  moment,  and  then  bowing  himself  out 
of  the  room. 

"  Maria,"  said  he  to  his  wife,  "  hurry  and  set  out 
the  best  breakfast  you  can  for  them  two  young  things 
in  the  best  parlor.  They  're  mortal  cold,  and  hungry 
as  hunters.  They  have  n't  had  no  breakfast  this 
morning.  They're  bride  and  groom,  I  think.  It's 
'  husband '  and  '  wife '  'twixt  them  with  every  other 
word." 

Left  alone,  Fairford  hastily  threw  aside  his  own 
heavy  cloak,  then  fumbled  among  the  buttons  and 
bundles  and  straps  of  his  wife's  bonnet  and  cloak 
with  blundering  masculine  fingers  —  she  could  have 
doffed  it  herself  in  half  the  time,  but  she  waited 
patiently  for  him,  it  was  such  a  pleasure  to  both  of 
them  —  until  he  gently  lifted  it  from  her  shoulders ; 
then  he  knelt  down  before  her  and  drew  the  warm 
fur  boots  from  her  daintily  shod  little  feet,  upon  which 
he  pressed  a  kiss  before  he  released  them,  and  finally 
sat  down  on  the  great  settle  near  the  fire  and  drew 
his  small  wife  upon  his  knee. 

"  This  is  delicious,  Blake,"  she  said,  as  she  dropped 
her  head  upon  his  shoulder,  and  nestled  close  to 
him.  "  We  have  been  married  five  days  now,  and 
it 's  nicer  every  day.  I  wonder  if  it 's  going  to  be 
like  this  after  five  whole  years,  and  grow  nicer  all  the 
time.  I  shall  not  be  able  to  stand  it  if  it  does,  I  am 
sure.  No,  not  again,"  she  said  firmly,  as  he  put  his 
hand  beneath  her  chin  and  lifted  her  face  up  to  his. 


THEIR  WEDDING  JOURNEY 

"  there  's  a  limit  to  everything,  enough  is  enough. 
.  .  .  Oh,  you  inexorable  sailor,"  she  murmured,  kick 
ing  him  with  her  little  heels  after  the  performance 
was  over,  "  you  really  are  incorrigible.  If  you  do 
it  again,  I  shall  certainly  get  down." 

"  Margaret,"  he  said,  "  I  feel  as  if  I  could  never 
let  you  out  of  my  arms  now  that  I  have  at  last  got 
you  there.  No,  there  is  no  use  of  your  struggling. 
That 's  not  the  way  to  rule,  my  lady ;  but  if  you  only 
look  at  me  seriously  with  your  great  big  gray  eyes,  I 
am  your  slave.  When  I  look  back  on  the  cruise," 
he  continued,  playing  with  her  slender  fingers,  which 
lay  confidingly  in  his  hand,  "  and  the  horror  of  it, 
the  loss  of  the  ship,  the  death  of  Ludlow  and  Dick 
and  Evelyn,  and  all  the  rest,  things  seem  to  fade 
away,  and  I  see  only  you  before  me.  It  seems  as 
if  all  my  striving  had  been  for  you  anyway.  Did  I 
ever  have  any  other  aspiration,  I  wonder?  You  are 
the  end  of  my  desire  and  the  object  of  my  ambition, 
and  to  be  able  to  call  you  wife,  in  spite  of  whatever 
else  may  happen,  satisfies  me  with  life." 

"  What  a  little  thing  satisfies  you  then,  Blake,"  she 
answered  demurely.  "  Look  at  me.  You  don't  know 
how  small  I  used  to  feel  on  the  ship  when  I  saw  you 
so  big  and  masterful  and  handsome,  standing  in  the 
rigging  and  giving  orders  and  directing  your  men. 
Do  you  remember  the  day  you  ran  the  schooner 
down,  when  our  lives  were  in  your  hand  .  .  .  and  you 
in  God's?"  she  added  solemnly. 

"Of  course,  did  you  love  me  then?  When  did 
you  begin  to  love  me?"  he  asked  for  the  thousandth 
time. 

"  Blake,  I  have  told  you  that  every  day  over  and 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

over  again  since  I  married  you.  What  a  wretched 
memory  you  have,  poor  boy !  I  don't  know  when 
I  began,  but  I  realized  it  fully  the  night  you  told 
me  you  loved  me  in  the  summer  house  at  home." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  he  said  smiling,  "  the  night  you  be 
haved  so  badly." 

"  Now,  Blake,  dear,  I  always  behaved  beautifully, 
didn't  I?"  she  asked  in  sweet  appeal,  taking  his  face 
between  her  hands  and  looking  at  him  with  her  great 
gray  eyes,  violet  black  this  morning. 

"Of  course,  of  course,  you  always  did,"  he  an 
swered,  rapturously  thrilling  under  her  unwonted 
caress. 

"  Very  well,"  she  cried  triumphantly,  not  with 
holding  his  reward  for  complaisance.  "  Now  tell  me 
when  did  you  begin  to  love  me,  sir?" 

"  When  was  I  born,"  he  answered  promptly. 

"  But  that  was  several  years  before  I  was,  Blake," 
she  answered  in  dismay. 

"  Well,  I  loved  you  as  an  ideal  then." 

"A  baby's  ideal !  "  she  said  laughing. 

"  A  baby's,  a  youth's,  a  man's,  a  life's  ideal,  Mar 
garet,"  he  said,  lifting  her  hand  to  his  lips  with  the 
reverence  of  an  ancient  cavalier,  while  she  sprang  to 
her  feet  at  the  sound  of  footsteps,  followed  by  a  most 
discreet  knock  upon  the  hall  door. 

After  a  reasonable  interval,  the  door  was  opened 
and  gave  entrance  to  the  experienced  landlord  — 
catch  him  breaking  in  upon  a  bride  and  groom,  he 
knew  his  business,  yes,  sir  —  his  wife  and  a  maid, 
with  the  breakfast,  which  was  soon  laid  upon  the 
snowy  cloth  which  had  been  drawn  over  a  table 
placed  before  the  cheerful  fire.  After  serving  them, 

320 


THEIR  WEDDING  JOURNEY 

the  landlord  and  his  wife  discreetly  withdrew  and 
they  were  left  alone  again.  They  were  very  much 
in  love  with  each  other,  but  they  were  at  the  same 
time  young,  and  their  morning  ride  had  given  them 
a  keen  appetite,  on  account  of  which  the  generous 
provision  of  the  English  inn  suffered  severely. 

"  How  good  it  is  to  see  you  eat,  dearest,"  said 
Fairford,  fatuously. 

"  Well,  I  was  so  hungry.  It  is  not  at  all  romantic, 
I  know,  but  I  was  almost  starved.  But  you  are  not 
eating  anything  yourself,  Blake." 

"  I  cannot,  I  have  not  had  time,  been  so  busy 
helping  you,  you  see." 

"  Nonsense,"  she  cried,  "  if  you  don't  begin  at 
once,  I  shall  stop  immediately  and  starve  myself  to 
death.  What  are  you  going  to  do  after  breakfast?  " 

"  It  will  be  nearly  Church  time  then,  and  I  believe 
that  I  should  like  to  go  to  Church  as  we  had  planned. 
It's  Christmas  Day,  you  know,  and  we  can  take 
Communion  for  the  first  time  as  man  and  wife,  to 
gether,  you  know." 

"That  will  be  sweet  and  right,"  said  Margaret, 
gravely. 

"  And  then  I  shall  probably  have  an  opportunity 
of  seeing  Lady  Anne,  my  mother,  that  is,  before  we 
call  at  the  Hall  later  on." 

"  How  strange  it  sounds  to  hear  you  speak  of  your 
mother,"  said  Margaret.  "You  know  I  have  never 
had  one  either.  My  mother  died  when  I  was  a  little 
baby." 

"  Yes,  I  know,  and  I  do  not  feel  as  if  I  had  one, 
much  more  of  a  one  than  you  have,  dearest,  because 
I  have  not  seen  Lady  Anne  since  I  was  a  little  boy." 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"  Why  do  you  call  her  Lady  Anne  in  that  formal 
manner,  Blake?" 

"  I  do  not  know  why ;  nervousness,  or  timidity,  or 
unfamiliarity,  —  I  cannot  tell.  I  have  always  called  her 
mother  in  my  heart,  you  know.  I  have  always  cher 
ished  and  loved  the  idea  I  have  formed  of  her  from 
her  picture  and  my  few  boyish  recollections ;  I  have 
been  wild  to  see  her,  and  yet,  now  that  I  am  here  I 
shrink  from  meeting  her,  not  only  on  account  of  the 
dreadful  tidings  of  which  I  am  the  bearer  —  her  hus 
band  and  son  both  dead,  and  in  a  measure  through  me 
—  but  you  know  how  one  feels  when  confronted  with 
the  reality  which  he  has  idealized." 

"Did  you  idealize  me,  dear?"  said  Margaret, 
wistfully. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered  promptly,  "  of  course." 

"  And  when  you  realized  me  —  " 

"  Found  you  far  beyond  my  fondest  dreams  even." 

"Well,  perhaps  it  will  be  that  way  with  your 
mother,  Blake." 

"  I  fear  not,"  he  said  sadly ;  "  things  like  that  do 
not  come  twice  in  a  lifetime  to  the  same  man." 

"Well,  whatever  happens,"  said  Margaret,  "you 
will  have  me." 

"  Yes,"  said  Fairford,  "  and  that  more  than  con 
tents  me." 


322 


CHAPTER  XLIII 
Passed  by,  as  the  Idle  Wind 

THE  sun  was  shining  brilliantly  over  the  snowy 
world,  and  its  dazzling  light  was  reflected  from 
every  fantastic  crystal  lying  undisturbed  in  the  still 
air  of  the  winter  morning.  The  Lady  Anne  —  she 
would  not  permit  any  one  to  call  her  Lady  Heath- 
cote,  which  savored  too  much  of  lost  individuality 
to  please  her  —  took  great  pride  in  never  neglecting 
her  religious  duties  under  any  circumstances,  as  she 
took  pride  in  everything  else  which  she  did.  As  the 
bells  were  carolling  their  sweet  invitation  for  service, 
she  descended  the  stairs  in  the  wide  old  hall,  in 
great  state  and  passed  through  the  formal  line  of 
servants,  escorted  by  the  deferential  steward,  who 
managed  her  affairs  (under  her  directions,  be  it 
noted)  in  the  absence  of  her  husband  and  son. 

She  stepped  out  into  the  air  and  down  the  broad 
steps  of  the  terrace,  which  had  been  swept  clean  of 
its  load  of  snow  by  her  dependent  vassals,  deposited 
her  regal  self  alone  in  her  carriage,  and  majestically 
drove  down  the  hill  to  participate  in  the  worship 
of  God,  in  the  village  Church  of  which  she  was  at 
once  the  stay  and  patron. 

Something  of  the  pride  of  that  aristocratic  gentle 
man  of  France  who  remarked  that,  "  God  would 
certainly  think  twice  before  damning  a  gentleman 

323 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

of  his  quality,"  frequently  formed  a  portion  of  the 
burden  of  Lady  Anne's  thoughts;  although  for  the 
sake  of  example,  noblesse  oblige,  and  from  a  deep 
sense  of  what  was  due  from  her  to  the  small  world 
over  which  she  ruled  in  the  way  of  inspiration,  she 
neglected  nothing  that  could  impress  weaker  and 
more  necessitous  humanity  with  the  propriety  of 
being  respectably  religious. 

As  she  descended  from  the  carriage  which  drew 
up  before  the  lych-gate  of  the  Church,  among  the 
crowd  of  humble  dependants  clustered  about  she 
noticed  two  strangers  coming  toward  her  from  the  di 
rection  of  the  village  street:  a  gentleman,  and  the 
person  clinging  to  his  arm,  a  lady,  of  that  there  was 
no  doubt  in  her  mind.  Visitors  of  that  stamp  and 
at  that  season  were  unusual  in  the  village,  to  say  the 
least,  and  if  vulgar  curiosity  had  ever  a  lodgment  in 
so  stately  a  bosom  as  Lady  Anne's  it  might  have 
found  an  opening  then.  With  the  condescension 
which  the  lord  of  the  manor  might  have  bestowed 
upon  a  faithful  retainer  in  the  days  of  the  lamented 
past,  she  slightly  inclined  her  head  toward  them ;  to 
which  gracious  salutation  the  gentleman  responded 
by  removing  his  hat  with  a  deep  bow,  the  lady  at 
the  same  time  dropping  his  arm  and  making  a  pro 
found  courtesy. 

"  I  feel  like  an  outcast,"  whispered  Fairford,  bit 
terly  to  his  wife. 

"  And  I  like  a  frightened  child,"  said  Margaret,  as 
her  ladyship  passed  on,  followed  by  the  waiting 
villagers. 

"  Very  proper  manners,"  thought  Lady  Anne,  as 
she  preceded  them  majestically  through  the  gate  and 


PASSED   BY,   AS   THE   IDLE   WIND 

up  toward  the  Church.  "  A  most  personable  young 
man  and  quite  a  pretty  young  girl.  They  look  like 
people  I  have  known  somewhere,  who  can  they  be  ?  " 
she  thought  vaguely. 

It  might  have  seemed  strange  that  Lady  Anne  did 
not  recognize  her  son,  but  the  mental  demands  of 
her  station  were  so  great,  she  was  so  self  centred, 
and  her  eyes,  except  in  the  case  of  one  person,  were 
turned  so  continually  inward,  that  no  one  in  the  out 
side  world  made  a  very  deep  impression  upon  her 
personality,  with  the  exception  noted,  no  one  in  any 
world  in  fact,  unless  it  was  herself. 

She  would  have  known  herself  could  she  have 
been  projected  before  her  own  vision,  instantly,  at 
least  she  thought  so,  and  for  Lady  Anne  to  think  a 
thing  invariably  established  a  fact.  Besides,  it  was 
twenty  years  and  more  since  she  had  seen  her  son, 
her  elder  son  that  is,  and  she  had  meanwhile  received 
no  picture  of  him.  His  father,  the  son  of  the 
tradesman  aforesaid,  had  entirely  faded  out  of  her 
recollection. 

Still  there  was  something,  an  instinct  maternal 
perhaps,  a  feeling  which  gave  her  inexplicable  unea 
siness  and  unrest  at  the  mere  thought  of  the  presence 
of  the  strangers.  She  found  it  difficult  to  fix  her  atten 
tion  upon  the  service,  which  the  simple  village  choir 
rendered  with  a  fervor  and  sweetness  suited  to  the 
day  and  hour,  until  the  good  old  vicar  gave  out  his 
text :  "  For  unto  you  is  born  this  day  in  the  city  of 
David  a  Saviour,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord." 

As  the  good  old  minister  went  on  to  describe  the 
simplicity  of  that  mighty  birth;  as  he  told  of  the 
arrival  in  the  crowded  village  of  the  two  humble 

325 


FOR  THE  FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

descendants  of  King  David ;  of  their  forced  recourse 
for  an  abiding  place  to  one  of  the  caves  in  the  hill 
back  of  the  inn,  sometimes  used  for  a  granary,  some 
times  for  the  stabling  of  cattle ;  as  he  spoke  of  the 
bundles  of  straw  and  the  sacks  of  grain  lying  on  the 
floor ;  of  the  walls  cut  in  rude  mangers,  low  enough 
for  the  sheep  to  eat  from,  he  attracted  her  attention. 

"  There,"  said  he,  "  is  the  place  of  the  Incarnation. 
There  that  night  in  the  still  darkness,  in  that  rude 
place  of  shelter,  with  those  meagre,  humble  appoint 
ments,  think  of  it,  women  of  to-day,  the  climax  in 
the  life  of  that  woman,  of  every  woman  is  reached, 
she  becomes  a  mother.  With  all  the  prophesied 
anguish,  with  all  the  exquisite  pain  which  only  woman 
hood  may  feel,  a  child  is  born.  There  is  a  great, 
white,  radiant  star  in  the  heavens,  and  I  think  the 
day  must  be  breaking  when  Christ  is  born." 

The  birth  of  the  Son !  What  must  it  have  been 
to  that  mother,  what  is  it  to  every  mother,  she 
thought.  As  the  preacher's  words  fell  upon  her  ear, 
she  seized  his  present  thought  and  heeded  not  the 
rest  of  the  sermon.  She  remembered  her  own  son 
—  alas,  even  in  this  hour,  she  recalled  but  one  — 
that  gallant  boy,  that  bold  sailor  so  far  away  on  his 
ship,  well  named  because  it  was  like  its  master,  Un 
daunted.  'She  sat  through  the  rest  of  the  service  as 
in  a  dream,  her  mind  and  her  heart  far  away  upon 
the  sea,  that  great  ocean  not  deeper  than  her  love, 
with  the  child  of  her  old  age,  as  is  the  wont  of 
mothers. 

And  back  in  the  corner  of  the  Church,  Fairford 
eagerly  watched  the  white-headed  old  woman,  this 
mother  who  had  passed  him  by  unheeding,  with  a 

326 


PASSED   BY,   AS  THE   IDLE  WIND 

strange  hunger  and  sadness  of  the  heart  which  not 
even  the  tender  sympathy  of  his  wife,  who  divined  all 
that  was  passing  in  his  soul,  could  alleviate  or  assuage. 
He  had  dreamed  of  this  meeting  during  many  a  night 
watch,  all  the  years  of  his  youth  even,  and  lo,  now 
that  he  had  seen  her  at  last,  he  was  to  her  as  a 
stranger  and  she  knew  him  not.  He  could  not 
understand  it. 

How  could  a  mother  forget  the  child  she  had 
borne,  that  had  lain  in  her  bosom,  that  had  tugged  at 
her  breast,  around  whose  neck  had  been  clasped  the 
baby  hands?  Ah,  Lady  Anne,  Lady  Anne,  how 
could  you  so  fail  to  remember?  Was  there  no  charm 
in  the  very  presence  of  your  son  which  could  recall 
the  past,  the  days  of  youth  and  life  in  that  far  land 
where  first  you  saw  the  light? 

Fairford  knelt  between  the  two  women  he  loved  — 
his  wife  and  his  mother  —  at  the  communion  rail,  and 
his  mother  made  no  sign.  He  stood  in  the  Church 
porch  as  she  passed  by,  looking  eagerly,  wistfully 
upon  her,  and  no  voice  from  heaven  whispered  to 
her  proud  old  heart,  — 

"  This  is  indeed  thy  son  !  " 


327 


CHAPTER  XLIV 
"  Woman,  behold  thy  Son!" 

LADY  ANNE  did  not  have  a  very  pleasant  journey 
from  the  Church  to  the  Hall.  Her  mind  re 
verted  to  and  still  dwelt  upon  her  absent  son,  with  a 
side  thought  or  two  for  Sir  James,  whom  she  regarded 
somewhat  in  the  light  of  a  necessary  domestic  ap 
panage,  and  from  whom  she  had  not  heard  for  nearly 
a  year ;  but  in  her  various  cogitations,  the  face  of  the 
stranger  of  the  morning  would  obtrude  itself.  It  was 
most  provoking. 

She  felt  that  her  life  had  become  suddenly,  to  her 
great  discomfort,  intertwined  with  him  in  some  mys 
terious  way,  and  it  was  with  a  very  decided  feeling  of 
uneasiness  that  she  entered  her  home.  Divesting 
herself  of  her  winter  wrappings,  she  sat  down  in  the 
library  while  waiting  for  dinner,  to  consider  the  situa 
tion  over  a  biscuit  and  a  glass  of  wine.  A  sense  of 
dependence  was  both  unusual  and  annoying  to  Lady 
Anne,  and  she  scarcely  knew  how  adequately  to 
grapple  with  it. 

The  advent  of  a  servant  who  brought  a  message, 
"  a  lady  and  gentleman  from  America  to  see  your 
ladyship,"  filled  her  with  a  deep  sense  of  relief.  She 
hated  mysteries,  and  the  solution  of  the  mysterious 
and  puzzling  personality  of  the  stranger  would  proba 
bly  now  be  given  her. 

328 


"WOMAN,   BEHOLD   THY  SON!" 

"  Show  them  up,  James,"  she  said  condescendingly,, 
condescension  being  her  favorite  attitude  toward  hu 
manity  in  general  whether  of  high  or  low  degree. 

Margaret  and  Fairford  had  walked  up  to  the  Hall 
after  service.  Fairford  had  formed  no  plan  as  to 
how  he  was  to  communicate  his  sad  tidings  and  his 
identity  to  his  mother,  and  trusted  to  the  inspiration 
of  the  coming  moment  to  direct  him  in  the  best  way. 
When  the  door  of  the  library  was  thrown  open,  and 
the  footman  announced  the  advent  of  the  "  gentleman 
and  lady  from  America,"  his  first  impulse,  which  had 
been  to  run  toward  her,  was  checked  by  the  cere 
monious  dignity  with  which  she  rose  from  her  chair. 

"  Sir  and  madam,"  she  said  in  her  stateliest  manner, 
"  whom  have  I  the  privilege  of  welcoming  to  Heath- 
cote?" 

"  My  name  is  —  is  Johnson,  madam,"  replied  Fair- 
ford,  "  and  this  lady  is  my  wife"  —  for  the  life  of  him 
he  could  not  tell  her  who  he  was  then ;  "  we  are 
from  Virginia." 

"Ah,  are  you  one  of  the  Annandale  Johnstones, 
sir?"  asked  Lady  Anne,  with  rising  interest.  Perhaps 
she  had  seen  these  persons  years  ago  in  Virginia, 
her  mind  reverting  to  a  certain  family  which  had 
attained  nearly  to  the  exalted  attitude  of  the  Fitzhugh 
dignity,  and  with  members  of  which  she  had  been 
intimate  in  her  girlhood. 

"  Unfortunately,  no,  madam,"  replied  Fairford, 
at  which  her  evanescent  interest  in  that  direction 
vanished  again,  "  but  we  have  business  with  your 
ladyship.  In  short,  I  am  a  messenger." 

"  Pray  be  seated,  sir,  and  your  wife  also ;  she  looks 
tired.  Let  me  hand  you  a  glass  of  wine,  madam." 

329 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF   THE   SEA 

"  Thank  you,  ma'am,"  said  Margaret,  promptly,  not 
•desirous  of  accepting  any  hospitality  in  the  present 
indeterminate  condition  of  affairs,  "  but  just  now  I 
need  nothing." 

As  the  three  sat  down,  the  Lady  Anne's  face  hap 
pened  to  be  in  the  full  light  from  the  window,  while 
Fairford  unconsciously  had  turned  his  back  to  them 
and  was  in  the  deep  shadow  with  Margaret  by  his 
side.  Lady  Anne  was  fighting  down  an  inward  feeling 
of  perturbation  and  anxiety.  Nature  and  pride  were 
beginning  a  battle  royal  within  her  bosom. 

"  What  and  from  whom  is  your  message,  sir?  "  she 
said. 

"  I  regret,  madam,  that  the  news  I  bring  is  not 
good,"  he  replied  evasively,  at  which  she  started. 

"You  come  from  Sir  James,  I  presume.  I  trust 
he  is  well.  You  saw  him  lately?  " 

"  About  three  months  since,  madam." 

"And  did  he  send  the  message?  " 

"  Sir  James,  I  fear  —  " 

"What  is  it,  sir?     Speak,"  she  cried  imperiously. 

"  He  will  send  you  no  more  messages,  Lady 
Anne,"  answered  Fairford,  gently. 

The  proud  old  face  turned  a  shade  whiter  and  the 
small,  graceful  hands  tightly  closed  themselves  around 
the  arms  of  the  great  chair  in  which  she  sat ;  she 
looked  steadfastly  out  through  the  uncurtained  win 
dow  across  the  white  fields  of  the  ancient  heritage 
of  the  Heathcotes,  which  from  to-day  would  bow 
before  a  younger  master. 

Sir  James  was  gone,  the  gentle  husband  of  her  by 
gone  years.  She  loved  him  in  her  strange  way,  she 
had  not  understood  how  much,  until  this  blasting 

33° 


"WOMAN,  BEHOLD   THY   SON!" 

shock  had  come  upon  her.  How  had  it  happened, 
how  could  it  be?  With  a  sense  of  having  been 
slighted  by  fate,  she  dropped  her  head  upon  her 
hands  and  moaned  softly. 

She  felt  the  shock  keenly,  but  age,  his  absence, 
her  pride,  and  the  whole  engrossing  thought  of  her 
heart  came  to  her  rescue ;  she  had  ever  repressed 
her  feelings,  it  had  been  the  pride  of  her  house  to 
be  stricken  and  not  cry  out,  to  die  and  make  no 
sign,  and  she  finally  faced  her  son  again  with  the 
calmness  of  an  ancient  Roman. 

"  How  was  it,  sir?  "  she  questioned  softly. 

Briefly  he  recounted  the  circumstances  of  her  hus 
band's  death. 

"  How  do  you  know  this,  sir?  "  she  asked. 

"  Madam,  I  am  an  officer  in  the  American  Navy,  I 
commanded  the  ship." 

"  I  have  a  son  who  is  a  naval  officer,"  she  resumed, 
in  great  agitation  ;  "  he  was  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
when  I  last  heard  from  him,  in  command  of  the  frigate 
Undaunted ;  he  loved  his  father  dearly,  and  now  he 
will  be  Sir  Richard,  poor  boy.  And  Evelyn  Heath- 
cote,  Sir  James'  young  kinswoman,  what  of  her?  I 
trust  she  is  well." 

"  Alas,  no,  madam,"  replied  Fairford,  bitterly,  the 
evidence  of  her  own  lips  that  she  had  apparently  for 
gotten  him,  that  she  did  not  recall  that  she  had  two 
sons  in  the  naval  service,  rankling  in  his  soul,  "  she 
too  —  " 

"  What,  sir,"  cried  the  old  woman,  trembling  in 
spite  of  her  efforts  at  repression  at  this  new  shock, 
"  Was  she  killed  at  the  same  time?" 

"  No,  madam,  she  was  unharmed  at  that  period  of 
331 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM    OF  THE   SEA 

the  cruise,  but  later  on  the  ship  which  I  commanded 
fell  in  with  an  English  frigate  off  the  Island  of  Tristan 
da  Cunha —  " 

"Pray,  where  may  that  be,  sir?"  she  interrupted 
him,  striving  to  gain  time. 

"  On  the  way  from  Virginia  to  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  madam." 

"  Yes,  yes,  go  on,"  said  Lady  Anne,  a  vague  ter 
ror  clutching  at  her  heart  at  this  ominous  suggestion, 
though  she  gave  no  other  sign  of  her  inward  suspense 
than  was  afforded  by  the  trembling,  which  she  vainly 
endeavored  to  suppress,  as  before.  Fairford's  heart 
went  out  to  her  in  pity.  He  would  have  given  all 
he  possessed,  except  Margaret,  to  have  been  the 
bearer  of  happier  tidings. 

"  Well,  madam,  in  the  action  which  ensued  with  the 
English  ship,  Miss  Heathcote  —  " 

"  I  understand  you,  sir,  she  was  killed.  Poor  girl, 
poor  girl,  she  was  a  good  child,  and  a  beautiful  one ; 
poor  Sir  James  was  very  fond  of  her,  and  I  as  well, 
and  Richard  too.  I  sometimes  thought  he  loved  her ; 
it  will  be  an  added  shock  to  him.  She  was  almost 
like  a  daughter  to  me,  although,  of  course,  not  a 
Fitzhugh.  What  was  the  manner  of  her  death,  pray 
tell  me,  sir?"  The  old  eyes  were  full  of  tears  now. 

Rapidly  Fairford  told  the  story  of  the  battle,  -the 
coming  together  of  the  two  ships,  the  fierce  melee  on 
the  forecastle,  the  capture  of  the  ship,  the  wounded 
and  dying  English  captain. 

"  Miss  Heathcote,  who  had  been  below  with  my 
wife  during  the  combat,  had  learned  accidentally 
that  the  English  ship  had  been  commanded  by  — 
by  —  an  acquaintance  of  hers." 

332 


"WOMAN,   BEHOLD  THY   SON!" 

Lady  Anne  sprang  to  her  feet,  her  hands  clasped 
over  her  heart,  wild  interrogation  in  her  eyes.  Fair- 
ford  had  spoken  hurriedly  as  if  to  postpone  the  inevi 
table  question. 

"  She  came  over  to  the  captured  and  sinking 
ship  and  recognized  her  friend,  who  was  severely 
wounded,  dying  in  fact;  the  ships  parted  in  the 
heavy  sea,  we  were  driven  away  by  the  approach 
of  a  large  English  ship  of  war,  and  subsequently 
captured ;  meanwhile  the  frigate  with  which  we 
had  fought  sank  with  Evelyn  and  the  captain,  and 
they  with  all  on  board  of  her  were  lost." 

As  Lady  Anne  sprang  to  her  feet,  Fairford  and 
Margaret  had  risen  also.  There  was  dead  silence 
in  the  room.  Nature  and  pride  were  fighting  a 
desperate  battle  in  the  breast  of  this  Fitzhugh, 
and  this  time  the  struggle  was  one  which  transcended 
all  her  experience.  , 

"  You  are  keeping  something  back.     What  was  the 
name  of  the  English  ship  ?     Who  was  her  captain  ?  " 
she  cried  hoarsely. 

Margaret  sprang  to  her  side,  but  the  indomitable 
old  woman  waved  her  away. 

"  I  need  no  support,  madam,  the  Fitzhughs  have 
ever  stood  alone.  The  name,  sir?  For  God's  sake, 
the  name?"  Her  tense  voice  was  fraught  with 
terror  and  despair. 

"  The  frigate  Undaunted,"  answered  Fairford, 
hoarsely,  "  Captain  Richard  Heathcote." 

The  Lady  Anne,  as  if  stricken  dead,  stared  straight 
before  her,  out  across  the  white  fields  again,  and 
they  were  not  whiter  than  her  face,  those  ancient 
lands  of  the  Heathcotes  which  would  know  still 

333 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

another  master.  She  grew  suddenly  old  before  their 
watching  eyes.  Presently  a  frightful  smile  wreathed 
her  thin  lips.  Her  hands  tightened  fiercely  about 
her  stricken  heart. 

"  My  boy,  my  boy !  "  she  murmured  softly,  and 
then  with  a  little  sigh,  she  sank  forward  into  the 
arms  of  her  unknown  son.  Placing  her  upon  the 
low  chair,  Margaret  chafed  her  hands,  while  Fairford 
rang  the  bell  furiously.  Restoratives  were  brought, 
and  presently  she  opened  her  eyes  with  returning 
consciousness.  When  her  glance  comprehended  the 
people  in  the  room,  she  dismissed  the  servants,  and 
sitting  up  turned  to  Fairford  again. 

"  I  believe  I  must  have  fainted,"  she  said  with 
faltering  voice,  "  though  it  is  not  my  habit  to  do  so. 
You  must  excuse  the  unwonted  weakness ;  my  race 
was  ever  strong.  You  had  news  for  me,  sir.  You 
were  telling  me  aboift  my  son,  I  think.  He  .  .  .  O 
God,  my  son !  I  have  no  son." 

Fairford  stayed  the  words  that  were  breaking  from 
Margaret's  lips,  with  a  quick  glance  —  not  yet,  a 
little  longer.  Lady  Anne  continued  to  speak  in 
a  low  repressed  tone,  almost  a  whisper,  terrible  to 
hear. 

"  He  is  gone,  killed  in  this  cruel  war,  sunk  beneath 
the  depths  of  the  sea.  May  the  curse  of  God  fall 
upon  all  who  brought  it  about !  It  was  your  ship, 
sir,  you  told  me,  that  struck  him  down.  How  dared 
you  come  here  with  this  message?  Dead,  and  I  not 
there.  Gone  without  a  word,  a  touch.  Childless, 
childless !  Oh,  my  God,  hear  me !  May  you  live, 
sir,  to  feel  the  heartbreak  you  have  caused  a  broken 
mother,  who  had  but  one  dream  in  life  .  .  .  her 

3:4 


"WOMAN,   BEHOLD   THY   SON!" 

child.  May  you  die  in  battle  alone,  craving  a  wife's 
kiss  ...  a  mother's  love  !  How  could  you  do  it, 
how  could  you  do  it,  ruthless,  murderous !  .  .  ." 

She  could  not  see  in  the  wild  blindness  of  her 
agony  that  Fairford's  face  was  even  whiter  than  her 
cwn.  His  lips  trembled,  great  beads  of  sweat  be 
dewed  his  forehead,  as  she  turned  upon  him  in  her 
passion. 

"  May  you  lack  in  your  dying  day  a  mother's- 
blessing,  as  now  I  give  you  a  mother's  .  .  ." 

He  lifted  his  hand  as  if  to  ward  off  a  blow. 

"  Stop,"  cried  Margaret.     "  This  is  also  your  son."' 

A  wild  cry  rang  through  the  room. 

"  Fairford  .  .  .  Blakely !  It 's  true.  How  was  I 
so  blinded?" 

"  My  mother,"  cried  Fairford,  piteously,  stepping 
toward  her  and  reaching  out  his  arms  again,  but  she 
shrank  from  him,  averting  her  head. 

"  Your  brother's  blood  is  on  your  hands,"  she 
cried,  shuddering.  Fairford  dropped  his  arms  and 
turned  away  in  helpless  despair. 

"  Hush,  Oh  cruel  mother,"  cried  Margaret,  all  afire 
to  defend  her  stricken  husband.  "  Do  you  realize 
what  you  say?  It  was  in  honorable  warfare,  in  open 
battle,  in  the  pursuance  of  duty  stern  and  inexorable, 
that  this  awful  thing  occurred.  Once  in  my  father's 
house  the  son  who  stands  before  you  held  his  brother 
in  deadly  conflict  unarmed  and  defenceless  before 
him,  and  because  he  looked  at  him  with  his  mother's 
eyes,  he  stayed  his  hand  and  spared  his  life.  In  that 
very  battle  in  which  you  lost  a  son,  and  we  a  friend 
and  brother,  he  would  have  given  anything  to  save 
him.  .  .  ." 

335 


FOR  THE   FREEDOM   OF  THE   SEA 

"Yes,  yes,  all  I  possessed  to  spare  you  this," 
groaned  Fairford. 

"  He  loved  his  brother  as  he  loved  you.  If  there 
be  a  God  in  Heaven,  unsay  your  awful  words.  Look  ! 
This  is  the  son  who  has  been  deprived  of  his  mother's 
care,  and  his  mother's  presence,  and  his  mother's 
love  since  he  was  a  child ;  this  was  a  boy  who 
dreamed  about  a  gracious  lady  who  left  him ;  who 
.built  for  himself  an  ideal  out  of  his  childhood's  mem 
ory  and  pictured  faces ;  who  dreamed  of  a  mother 
before  whom  he  poured  all  the  love  of  his  heart; 
and  as  the  years  glided  by,  the  love  grew  stronger 
and  the  dream  deeper,  until  it  is  to-day  shattered  and 
broken,  and  by  you,  cruel  woman  that  you  are. 
.  .  .  Look  upon  him,  look  upon  him.  I  say,  you 
.shall,  you  must,"  said  Margaret,  strong  in  her  reso 
lution  as  she  seized  Lady  Anne  and  insistently  turned 
her  head  to  look  at  Fairford,  crying  at  the  same 
time  with  an  unconscious  memory  of  another  awful 
moment, — 

"  Woman,  behold  thy  son  !  " 

Fairford  sprang  forward  and  fell  at  Lady  Anne's 
feet,  catching  her  dress  in  his  hand. 

"  My  mother,  my  mother,"  he  sobbed,  "  have  you 
no  room  in  your  heart  for  me  ?  "  There  was  a  little 
silence.  She  forced  herself  to  look  upon  him ;  days 
of  youth  came  back  to  her,  about  her  wretched  heart 
another  memory  was  twining.  Slowly  he  made  a 
way  into  her  affection  as  she  gazed  upon  him.  He 
found,  in  a  measure,  the  long  craved  place  in  her 
heart  at  last,  and,  with  a  cry,  she  bent  toward 
Jiim. 

"  My  son,  my  son  .  .  .  you  are  indeed  my  son 
336 


"WOMAN,   BEHOLD   THY   SON!" 

...  I  am  an  old  and  broken  woman  .  .  .  forgive 
me,"  she  murmured,  as  he  clasped  her  to  his  heart. 
Margaret  turned  and  walked  toward  the  window. 
They  were  alone  together.  And  the  pride  of  the 
Fitzhughs  was  broken  at  last. 


22 


337 


EPILOGUE 

O  HORTLY  after  the  meeting  between  mother  and 
O  son,  when  the  news  of  the  signing  of  the  Treaty 
of  Peace  between  the  contending  nations  was  declared, 
Fairford  and  his  wife  bade  good-bye  to  their  new 
friend,  the  kind  old  Admiral  Hardy,  and,  accom 
panied  by  one  Joseph  Rhodes,  an  ancient  mariner, 
who  thereafter  until  he  ended  his  days  considered 
himself  permanently  attached  to  their  household  as 
chief  boatswain's  mate  thereof,  took  Lady  Anne,  a 
feeble  heart-broken  old  woman,  across  the  sea  with 
them  to  end  her  few  remaining  days  in  her  native  land 
of  Virginia. 

Things  had  gone  on  as  of  yore  on  Colonel  Barrett's 
plantation,  since  Margaret  rode  out  into  the  darkness 
that  night  and  came  not  back ;  but  that  brave  old 
soldier  did  not  long  survive  the  shock  of  Margaret's 
supposed  death,  and  although  the  joy  of  her  return 
gave  him  an  evanescent  strength,  it  was  only  a  little 
while  until  he  stood  at  attention  one  morning  and 
answered  "  Present"  to  the  final  roll  call  of  his  Eternal 
Captain.  Neither  was  Lady  Anne  called  upon  to 
mourn  her  misfortunes  long.  When  she  died,  she  left 
everything  of  which  she  was  possessed  to  Margaret. 
There  was  one  significant  clause  in  her  will,  a  direc 
tion  which  Fairford  scrupulously  carried  out.  She 
would  be  buried  upon  a  high  hill  with  her  face 

338 


EPILOGUE 

tov/ard  the  lonely  island  where  her  best  beloved  slept 
beneath  the  sea. 

Honors  and  rewards  had  been  heaped  upon  Fair- 
ford,  and  prize  money  distributed  to  the  surviving 
officers  and  crew  of  the  Narragansett  by  a  grateful 
country  which  rang  with  their  heroic  exploits.  In 
the  days  of  peace  he  saw  much  service  with  Captain 
Hull  and  his  old  companions  in  arms,  commanding 
at  one  time  the  great  Constitution,  and  at  another 
being  the  commodore  on  the  European  station. 
Children  clustered  about  his  knee,  and  in  twilight 
hours  clamored  for  stories  as  children  will.  There 
was  one  tale  of  which  they  never  tired,  and  that  was 
the  story  of  their  mother's  ride  and  their  father's 
cruise,  when,  in  the  brave  old  days,  they  both  fought 

"  FOR  THE  FREEDOM  OF  THE  SEA  !  " 


339 


A    GREAT   AMERICAN    NOVEL 

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A  Chronicle  of  Reconstruction 

Ey  THOMAS  NELSON  PAGE 

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NOW    IN    ITS    4ist    THOUSAND 

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